Falling For You
by Aurynne
Summary: Harry and the gang are back at 12 Grimmauld Place for the summer. Sirius is back from beyond the veil, and chaos is ensuing with the Order and Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. But many worlds collide when one of Harry's friends falls for Sirius.
1. 12 Grimmauld Place

Jasmine waited anxiously in front of the black door, her arms weighed down by her suitcase. She could not hear any bloodcurdling shrieking from inside, which meant that Mrs Black was either still asleep, or Sirius had finally managed to undo the Permanent Sticking Charm that was keeping her on the wall. Jasmine's heart leapt at the thought of seeing Sirius again, along with Lupin, the Weasleys, Tonks...

The door suddenly opened, startling Jasmine out of her reverie. She was greeted by Hermione's welcoming smile.

"Jaz!" she exclaimed brightly, opening her arms to hug Jasmine, who obliged awkwardly; the bulky suitcase was difficult to manoeuvre. "Come in!"

Jasmine stumbled clumsily through the hallway, her case banging against the walls. She winced – would the noise be enough to wake the portraits? As if reading her mind, Hermione spoke.

"I wouldn't worry about Mrs Black, she's taken care of for now. Silencing charms."

Jasmine raised her eyebrows in surprise. "How? I thought they didn't work?"

Hermione smiled. "Well, one didn't. Try getting half the Order of the Phoenix to fire them at her simultaneously. She's been sulking for days now, opening the curtain all the time to try and irritate us."

"It's about time," Jasmine said grimly. They had come to the kitchen door. Feeling oddly apprehensive, she pushed it open. The sight that greeted her calmed her slightly; it felt familiar and cosy. Seated around the large wooden table in the centre of the kitchen were most of the Order members she knew: Tonks, Kingsley, Sirius, Mundungus, Lupin, the Weasleys...

"Jaz!" came the voices of Harry and Ron. They got up from their seats and ran towards her, both putting their arms round her and clapping her on the back. Fred and George saluted her from the table, each wearing identical wide grins.

"Excellent," Fred muttered to George.

Dinner seemed to have come to a temporary halt due to the commotion. Mrs Weasley had risen from the table and approached Jasmine, beaming warmly.

"Jasmine, dear, it's lovely to see you!" she said kindly, embracing her affectionately. "My, you just get prettier every day!"

Ron groaned loudly.

"Mum, stop embarrassing her and let her eat," he said plaintively, rolling his eyes. Mrs Weasley gave him a nasty look as she ushered Jasmine to a seat between him and Fred. As she sat down, Jasmine felt extremely uncomfortable; all eyes were still on her. She looked around the table. Several of the Order members smiled politely at her. Tonks, her hair in a short, brown bob, was grinning. Lupin gave her a small smile; Jasmine noticed that he looked extremely tired. Mundungus was snoring, his head on the table next to his plate; Mrs Weasley was eyeing him with obvious disapproval, watched in amusement by her husband. Ginny smiled at Jasmine and gave her a small wave, which she returned.

Her eyes then fell on Sirius, and she felt a small jolt in her stomach. He was smiling cheerfully at her, his dark hair falling in tousled waves to his shoulders, his grey eyes shining. She smiled back self-consciously. She had always looked up to Sirius; he was like a brother to Harry, and as one of Harry's best friends, Jasmine admired him too. Her admiration had increased significantly when she had seen Sirius risk his life to save his godson at the Ministry of Magic a few weeks earlier. It had been Dumbledore's quick thinking that had prevented him from being trapped forever behind the mysterious veil in the Department of Mysteries. She tore her eyes away to look at Hermione.

"How long have you been here?" she asked Hermione quietly.

"A week," Hermione replied. "Mum and Dad wanted me to go back home for a bit first."

"Have Harry and Ron been here since school ended?"

"Yeah. I don't think they even go back to the Burrow much these days."

Jasmine started to eat her dinner, glad that everyone had stopped staring at her and conversation had started to break out around the table.

"Oi, Jasmine," came Fred's voice from beside her. She turned to face him. He looked unhappy, his eyes closed, a pained grimace on his face. "No words of welcome?" he asked in a mournful voice.

"No unabashed proclamation of the joy you experienced in your heart upon seeing us?" George asked, in a tone that was laced with sorrow.

"No declaration of the relief you felt when you entered this humble abode, knowing that you would be spending the next few weeks in the company – "

"Enough!" Jasmine said, grinning despite herself.

"Good to have you back," George said, winking at her.

"Did you bring – " Fred began.

"Yes, I brought them," Jasmine smiled, rolling her eyes.

Fred and George's latest plan for Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes was to bewitch Muggle objects and sell them to the public to play jokes on innocent Muggles. Hermione had been shocked at the idea ("If your mother finds out!"), and Jasmine too had been a little concerned, until Harry reminded her that there were Muggles out there like Dudley Dursley, who needed their come uppance. It was this point that had made Jasmine agree to bring the twins Muggle items from her home for them to mess about with.

"Excellent," George said, giving her the thumbs up.

"Better not let Dad find them," Fred said darkly, glancing at George. "Remember what happened when he found Hermione's electric toothbrush?"

George chuckled. "Took her about an hour to get it working again."

Jasmine smiled. "Don't worry, they're in my suitcase. I'll give them to you after dinner."

Dinner passed uneventfully (with the exception of an incident involving Mundungus and a precariously placed dish of stew, which clattered to the floor and caused him to incur the wrath of Mrs Weasley) and soon Mrs Weasley was clearing the table.

"We'd better get this lot tidied up," she said, piling plates on top of each other and carrying them to the sink. "Severus will be here soon for the meeting."

"That ought to brighten up the evening," Sirius said sarcastically, pushing his plate away. Mrs Weasley gave him a reproving glance. Jasmine caught Harry's eye and they both grinned.

"Here you go, Molly, I – oops!" Tonks exclaimed, dropping the plate that she had intended to pass to Mrs Weasley.

"Just like old times, eh?" Ron grinned. Jasmine nodded. Gradually, the crowd around the table began to disperse.

"Shall we go upstairs?" Hermione suggested. Ron grunted, rising from the table. Harry and Jasmine followed suit.

"Where am I sleeping?" Jasmine asked.

"With me and Ginny," Hermione replied. They left the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, Sirius remained at the table, alone except for Remus, who sat poring over a sheet of parchment, and Mundungus, who was still snoring. Absorbed in his thoughts, he barely noticed the sounds of clinking plates and rushing water as Mrs Weasley washed up.

Jasmine and the others had just left, and once again Sirius was contemplating just how much Harry and his friends reminded him of himself, Remus, James and Peter at Hogwarts, and some of the girls they used to hang around with. At times, Hermione reminded him of Lily Potter; the way she used to chastise James for his rudeness or his nonchalance. He wasn't quite sure where Jasmine fitted into the equation. She was of a similar height to Hermione, and they both shared a rather fiery temper. Sirius had barely noticed her looks before until one day Fred described her wistfully as having "legs like a baby Unicorn", and he had had to give him a hugely hypocritical lecture on "not treating women as objects". She had fair brown hair that he thought was probably naturally curly, and eyes that seemed, startlingly, to bore right through you into your very soul and seek out everything you attempted to conceal.

"Do you need any help, Molly?" he asked Mrs Weasley politely, withdrawing from his thoughts.

"Actually, Sirius dear, if you could bring the plans through from the drawing room, that would be very helpful," she said gratefully.

"I'll help you," Remus said, pocketing the parchment he had been reading and rising from the table.

* * *

"So, what's been going on here?" Jasmine asked. She, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were sitting on the beds in the boys' room. Ron shrugged.

"Not much, really. We're still not allowed to go to the meetings, so we've been doing more cleaning." He didn't look too happy about this.

"I thought it was done?" Jasmine said, puzzled.

"Well, it was," Hermione said, sighing, "until Kreacher started putting spells on everything in sight."

"He's still _here_?!" Jasmine exclaimed, outraged. "After what he _did_?!"

"I know," Harry said dully. "Filthy little – "

"You know there's nothing we can do, Harry," Hermione sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "He knows too much about the Order."

"Yeah, so why can't he join his batty old ancestors on the wall?" Ron said savagely. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Why did he start putting spells on everything?" Jasmine asked.

"Well, after Sirius..._left_...he thought he'd better start repairing the 'damage' the Order had done to the house," Hermione said.

"But...it looks normal?" Jasmine said. "What happened?"

The corners of Hermione's mouth twitched.

"Er...well...Sirius came back, and he wasn't too...pleased with Kreacher."

Ron and Harry snorted.

"Sirius chased him all round the house hexing him," Harry said.

"It was brilliant," Ron grinned.

"He made Kreacher reverse most of the spells, but we had to do the rest," Ginny said.

"Did Sirius hurt him?"

Ron snorted. "He tried. Almost hit him with a Headless Hex. But Mum stopped him."

"Unfortunately," Harry said bitterly. Hermione shot him a reproachful glance.

"He's still living here," Ginny said, "but he's got someone watching him day and night."

"And an Anti-Disapparition Jinx on him," Hermione added. Harry opened his mouth, looking as if he was about to launch into an angry tirade about Kreacher's treachery.

"So we don't know what the Order's up to?" Jasmine asked, changing the subject quickly.

"Not really. Snape turns up practically every day," Ginny said, idly stroking Crookshanks.

"Unfortunately," Harry and Ron said simultaneously.

"Bet Sirius loves that," Jasmine smirked.

"I think Mum had a word with him. Told him that it was partly 'cause of Snape that he's still here. Doesn't stop him looking like he wants to rip off his greasy head every time he sees him, though," Ron said.

The door opened, and Fred and George entered.

"Hello, children," George said, sitting down next to Ron.

"Why hello, Jasmine. May I say that you are looking absolutely _lovely_ today," Fred said pointedly.

"I suppose you want – " Jasmine began.

"Yes please," Fred grinned. Jasmine rolled her eyes and started to rummage through her suitcase, eventually pulling out a large plastic bag which she handed to Fred, who gazed wide-eyed at it as if it were a sack of galleons.

"Well let's see, then," George said, opening the bag and pulling out an iron. The Weasleys gazed at it in wonder.

"What is it?" Fred whispered. Harry and Hermione chuckled.

"It's an iron," Hermione informed them.

"What does it do?" George asked, still gazing at the object in awe.

"You iron stuff with it," Harry said unhelpfully.

"It heats up, then you run it over clothes to get rid of the creases," Jasmine explained.

"Excellent," Fred said. "This will be extremely useful." He put it back in the bag and pulled out another object – a hairdryer.

"I've seen one of those!" Ron said excitedly. "You put bolts and stuff in with them!" Hermione, Harry and Jasmine stared at him.

"Er...Ron, mate," Harry said, "that's a hairdryer."

Everyone laughed except Ron, who had gone rather pink.

"Oh, okay then," he said sullenly. "Well, I bet I can guess the next one!"

"Okay," Jasmine said, pulling out a cheese cutter. All eyes were on Ron, who looked as if he had no idea.

"Er..." he said, staring at the object, "Something for putting paint on walls?" he ventured. "It's a cheese slicer," Jasmine said. Fred and George sniggered.

* * *

The evening passed by without incident, until the conversation in the boys' bedroom was interrupted by Fred and George, who had returned from their mission to discover the content of the meeting in progress.

"They're talking about Umbridge!" Fred exclaimed, bursting into the room with George. Jasmine raised her eyebrows in interest.

"Talking about what they're going to do with her!" George said.

"Set her up in a nice little cottage in the Forbidden Forest?" Jasmine said sarcastically.

"Kill her?" Ron suggested.

"Make her write lines in her own blood?" Harry proposed. "Ten thousand times: _I – am – a – vile – old – bat."_

Everyone laughed, including Hermione, who usually did not approve of ridiculing the Hogwarts' Professors.

"Why can't they just send her back where she came from?" Hermione asked George.

"Hell," Jasmine muttered.

"She's too much of a liability, apparently," Fred said. "She'd probably go over to You-Know-Who if she had the chance."

"Well, I know she's not exactly _nice_," Hermione said fairly, "but I doubt she'd join him."

"Wouldn't put it past her," Harry muttered.

"Yes, but remember what Sirius said?" Hermione reminded him. "'_The world isn't split up into good people and Death Eaters'_".

Harry shrugged.

"They said something about Memory Charms," George said. "But I think it's illegal to do that to someone without approval from the Ministry of Magic."

"How did you hear all this, anyway?" Jasmine asked. "I thought the Extendable Ears didn't work anymore?"

Fred gave her a sly grin.

"Well, when Kreacher went rampaging about hexing everything in sight, he broke down the door. Moody put a new one up, but no one thought to put an Imperturbable Charm on _that_." He held up the long, fleshy string in his right hand. "So it's back to the old Extendables for us."

"We've made more," George said brightly. "You can come and listen if you want, Jaz."

Intrigued, Jasmine obliged, followed by the others. They tiptoed down the stairs, past the old elf heads ("Hasn't anyone been able to get rid of them yet?") and into the hallway. There was a vague rumble of voices from the kitchen as Fred and George, followed by Jasmine, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry, crouched down by the door, fiddling with the Extendable Ears.

"There you go," George whispered, passing one to Jasmine. She inserted one end into her own ear, and passed the other under the door. Instantly, the voices on the other side became crystal clear.

"I cannot be sure of this, Minerva," came Snape's voice. "I don't believe the Dark Lord knows very much regarding Dolores, and – "

"So let's just stick her in a high security mental ward at St Mungo's and be done with it," Sirius interrupted.

"You know perfectly well we cannot do that!" Minerva McGonagall silenced him angrily. "The fact remains that we have a potentially dangerous woman on our hands and we have no resources to deal with her!"

"Minerva, I personally am doubtful that Dolores would make herself known to the Dark Lord unless she had something to offer him," Snape said silkily. "She has no exceptional powers or knowledge that would be of use to He-Who- Must-Not-Be-Named."

There was a brief silence.

"If I may add something, Minerva?" Lupin said quietly. "Dolores is still in a state of shock; it is highly unlikely that she would return to the Ministry now."

"And even if she does," came Kingsley's deep voice, "there is no chance of her keeping her job."

"Why not?" Tonks asked.

"She attacked two Hogwarts' professors," Lupin explained.

"And tried to put the Cruciatus Curse on Harry!" Sirius exclaimed vehemently.

"Dumbledore threatened to press charges," Arthur Weasley said.

"Not to mention those bloody decrees and the trouble they caused," Moody added gruffly.

"The way I see it, Minerva," Sirius said timidly, as if trying to redeem himself, "is that there isn't much we can do until we see if she's going to make a full recovery."

"'E's got a point, y'know," Mundungus grunted sleepily.

"I agree that there's not much we can do at present," McGonagall said, "but we need to come up with _something_ by the time she recovers."

"Of course," Mrs Weasley said, "but Sirius is right. There's nothing we can do now."

"Right," McGonagall sighed. "Well, I believe that is all for tonight, then," she said briskly.

"Are you staying for a cup of tea, Minerva?" Mrs Weasley asked.

"No thank you, Molly, I have to get back."

There was the sound of chairs scraping against the floor, and footsteps against the cold stone as the Order rose and prepared to leave.

"Quick! They're going to come out!" Fred hissed, yanking the Extendable Ear out from under the door and jumping to his feet. The others followed suit, and they scrambled down the hallway and up the stairs just in time; McGonagall opened the kitchen door and strode out into the hallway, followed by Snape, Mrs Weasley and Kingsley. Jasmine crouched on the landing besides Harry, peering down at the hallway.

"Dear old Dolores," Harry said sardonically. "Even when she isn't here she manages to make a mess of things."

"I think they should have taken Sirius' advice," Jasmine said. "Shove her in a mental ward."

"Or a cell in Azkaban," Ron said resentfully, joining them.

"Old hag," said George absent-mindedly. "Come on, before Mum finds out we're not all tucked up in bed."

They departed to their rooms, still discussing the meeting.

"I don't see why they think there's a risk of her joining You-Know-Who," Hermione said to Jasmine and Ginny as they climbed the stairs to their room.

"Call him Voldemort, will you?" Jasmine said. Ginny flinched.

"You sound like Harry," she said.

"Well, I just think it's stupid. Saying Voldemort – stop it, Ginny! – shouldn't make people so afraid," Jasmine said. "I mean, come on! Harry's been closer to him than anyone, and he has no problem with it!"

"I know, but it's a habit when you're around people who drop things every time you say his name," Hermione said.

"Like Tonks," Ginny giggled. "She was holding a plate of stew for Mum, and Sirius said it, and the stew went everywhere..."

They had entered the bedroom, a dim room with a single small window and yellowing cream wallpaper. Several portraits of menacing-looking witches and wizards adorned the walls; most of them were sleeping soundlessly in their frames. Three small beds were placed against the walls, and a few candles were burning in mid-air around the room. Jasmine yawned and proceeded to fumble through her suitcase in search for her pyjamas.

"You know, I actually quite like it here," Hermione said brightly, placing her clothes neatly by the side of her bed.

"S'alright," Ginny shrugged, "prefer it at home though."

Jasmine climbed into bed, switching off her mobile phone and placing it on the table beside her.

"Wow!" Ginny gasped. "Is that one of those phone things that Muggles carry around to talk to each other?"

"Yeah," Jasmine said, passing it to her. "Mobile phone."

"How come you don't have one?" Ginny asked Hermione, without taking her eyes off the contraption in her hand.

"My parents won't let me. Anyway, I don't really have anyone to call." She turned to Jasmine. "You have quite a lot of Muggle friends, don't you?"

Jasmine shrugged. "A few." She rolled her eyes. "Don't ever try and explain Transfiguration to a Muggle."

"God, I know," Hermione sighed, "I tried to explain about some of my lessons to my parents. It took me half the day. And that was just Potions!"


	2. Diagon Alley

**A/N: **Well, here it is! The third chapter will probably take a while longer seeing as I haven't written it yet! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Also, the conversation between Sirius and Jasmine at the end does have some significance later on, I know it seems a bit out of place now. Please read and review!

**Tabytha: **Yes, there is another chapter, here it is! I'm glad he didn't die either, or I wouldn't have much to write about...lol, no really, thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this one :)

**sunnio7: **Glad you liked the first chapter, let me know what you think of this one!

**Padfootz-luvr: **Thank you so much for all the advice on making her weird and crazy! I'll try more of that in chapter 3, but tell me if you think she's any better in this one. Thank you!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

The next day, Jasmine awoke to find Hermione and Ginny still sleeping. Light had started to filter in through the tiny window in the girls' bedroom, casting a glow over the dingy wallpaper. She rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, but gave up after several fruitless minutes of listening to the noise downstairs. _Someone must be up already_. Yawning, she ran her fingers through her hair and pulled a sweater on over her pyjamas. As she tiptoed quietly downstairs to the hallway, the smell of frying bacon greeted her. Entering the kitchen, she saw Mrs Weasley busy frying bacon and sausages on the stove. Tonks was sitting at the table clutching a large steaming cup of coffee, wearing a large pink nightshirt. Her hair was long and curly this morning, and she smiled at Jasmine as she entered. Sirius was sitting at the table, already dressed in black trousers and a maroon shirt. He was reading _The Daily Prophet_, but paused to smile at Jasmine.

"Morning," he said cheerily. "You're up early."

"Couldn't get back to sleep," Jasmine explained.

"Ah, hello, Jasmine dear," Mrs Weasley said brightly, bustling over to her with the frying pan. "Bacon? Eggs? Sausages?"

"Er...yeah, bacon would be good. Thanks, Mrs Weasley."

Jasmine sat down opposite Sirius and poured herself some orange juice.

"Anything good?" she asked him, gesturing to the newspaper. He shook his head.

"Usual," he replied.

She watched his grey eyes flicker over the pages in front of him, half hidden by strands of his thick, dark hair. They had dark shadows under them; he looked as if he hadn't slept properly in a while. As if he could feel her watching him, he glanced up. Embarrassed, she quickly looked away, feeling herself blushing.  
  
Jasmine had finished her bacon and was gazing sleepily at the window when the door opened and Harry and Ron entered, both looking still half-asleep.

"Morning," Ron yawned, rubbing his eyes. He caught sight of the frying pan and grabbed a plate. "Bacon – excellent."

"How long have you been down here?" Harry asked Jasmine. She shrugged.

"About half an hour. Lazy." She poked him in the stomach, causing him to recoil and collide with Ron, who was carrying a large plate of bacon, sausages and eggs.

"Oi, watch it, mate!" Ron exclaimed, steering clear of Harry who was about to protest his innocence.

"What are we doing today?" Ginny asked, strolling groggily into the kitchen still wearing her pyjamas, and accompanied by a cheery Hermione. "More cleaning?"

Ron let out an audible groan, and Mrs Weasley gave him a stern look.

"You wouldn't be if I'd had my way with that wretched house-elf," Sirius said viciously. "He'd be on the wall where he belongs."

Hermione sighed. "It's not all Kreacher's fault, he – "

"Look, Hermione, I think we should just agree to disagree on this," Sirius said firmly. "You think that piece of vermin was badly treated; we gave him a hard time, fair enough. I personally think that the little beast ought to be thrown into the Forbidden Forest where it can make friends with the werewolves." He took a large gulp of coffee.

"Someone say my name?" Lupin said, smiling as he ambled into the kitchen.

"Ha ha," Sirius said dryly, folding up his newspaper.

"Seriously, what are we doing today?" Harry asked, more to himself than anyone else.

"Well, seeing as you're all here now, you can have a break from cleaning," Mrs Weasley said, tipping bacon onto Harry's plate.

Ron's eyes grew wide in outrage.

"How come we didn't get a break before?!" he exclaimed indignantly. "Just because _she's_ here!" he glared at Jasmine. "She should be made to work too!"

There was laughter around the table.

"Well, _technically_," Jasmine said to Ron, "you should be thanking me. If I wasn't here now, you wouldn't be getting a break." Ron opened and closed his mouth huffily. Sirius chuckled.

"She's right, you know," he said, and then turned to address Harry, Ron, Jasmine, Hermione and Ginny. "Why don't you lot go down to Diagon Alley?"

They looked at each other approvingly.

"Good idea," Harry remarked thickly through a mouthful of sausage. "I'm running low on broom polish."

Jasmine rolled her eyes. "You don't need to polish that thing! It's practically reflective!"

"Yeah, because I polish it so much!" Harry said.

"You haven't ridden it since school ended," Jasmine pointed out.

"There's nowhere here to ride it!" Harry exclaimed.

"Children, children," Fred sighed, entering the kitchen with George. Both were wearing identical blue-striped pyjamas, their red hair tousled. "Must we quarrel?"

"Exactly," Mrs Weasley said, wiping her hands and sitting down at the table. "You can go to Diagon Alley," she told Harry and the others, "if a member of the Order goes with you. That" – Ron opened his mouth to protest – "is nonnegotiable. You are far too young to be wandering off into Wizard London unaccompanied."

"I'll go with them if you want, Molly," Sirius volunteered, smiling at the put out look on Ron's face.

"Oh," Ron said, his irritation subsiding, "well, that's alright then."

"You sure you don't want Snape to come?" Jasmine teased him. He and Harry both scowled at her.

"He'd head straight for Knockturn Alley," Sirius muttered.

* * *

Several hours later, Sirius was standing by the fireplace in the drawing room awaiting the arrival of Harry, Ron and Jasmine. Hermione and Ginny were ready, sitting patiently on the sofa. A fire was blazing merrily in the grate beside Sirius; he could feel its warmth through his robes. A thunder of footsteps on the stairs informed him that the others were on their way. Sure enough, Harry, Ron and Jasmine appeared a few seconds later in the doorway, dressed in Muggle clothing except for their linen summer cloaks. Jasmine was still struggling to fasten hers. Sirius found himself noticing again how pretty she was, and shook his head to clear it. _Sure, she's pretty, but so are a lot of people_.

"Ready?" he asked. They nodded, Hermione and Ginny rising from the sofa.

"God, it's boiling," Jasmine said, looking out of the window at the sun shining outside. "Do we have to wear cloaks?"

Sirius smiled. "Well, otherwise people will think you're just a Muggle who's lost."

"But Muggles can't get into Diagon Alley," Harry pointed out. Sirius shrugged.  
  
"Trust me," he said, taking a handful of Floo powder from the pot on the mantelpiece and throwing it into the flames, which sparked and turned bright green. He stepped into the grate and said clearly: "Diagon Alley." He was gone in a whirl of flame and smoke. The others followed, each taking Floo powder and disappearing into the green fire.

* * *

Diagon Alley was bustling with wizards; Jasmine realized that she had never seen it empty before. The summer sun blazed overhead as wizards passed through the streets, some laden with strangely shaped boxes of all shapes and sizes, others brandishing large shopping bags. Jasmine made a mental note to pass by Madam Malkins' and investigate the summer sale advertised on many of the shoppers' bags.

"Excellent," Ron said, gesturing to Quality Quidditch Supplies. There was a large sign in the window announcing a sale, which was flashing red and sending showers of stars into the glass.

"I suppose you boys will be off ogling the broomsticks?" Jasmine said, rolling her eyes.

"Well you could come too," Ron said.

"No point. I'm not on the team and I have a tiny garden in the middle of a Muggle neighbourhood," Jasmine said. "When am I ever going to make use of a broomstick?"

"You know, I don't know why you don't give the team a try, Jaz," Harry said. "I've seen you – you're good. They're having tryouts next term."

Jasmine shrugged. "Maybe. Though you guys seemed to be doing just fine in the finals last term, why would you need my help?" she grinned at Ron, who elbowed her.

"Shut up. You know perfectly well our team was appalling," he said, blushing slightly at the memory. "Still, it's not every day you win the cup..." he smiled dreamily at the memory, his eyes misting over.

"Mmm," Hermione said, ignoring him. "Let's go to Gringotts."

* * *

Several hours later, Jasmine walked idly through Diagon Alley, one hand in her pocket and the other clutching several shopping bags. It was warm and sunny, and a light breeze blew her hair out behind her. The shops were busy, and people rushed to and fro with their purchases. In need of some shade, Jasmine walked towards Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. The large bright sun umbrellas outside flashed different colours and cast large shadows over the tables and chairs beneath them. Several people sat outside; four small children ran around clutching large dripping ice creams while their parents struggled to control them, and an old wizard with a pointed black beard sat reading The Daily Prophet. Jasmine would have found his appearance entirely normal if he hadn't been wearing a large purple bowler hat. She took a seat at one of the empty tables and looked around at the crowds bustling about the busy street. A waiter dressed in smart black and white robes approached her, grasping a notebook and quill. He had a young face and bright blue eyes; Jasmine seemed to recall that he was Florean Fortescue's son, although she had no idea how she knew that.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked, smiling politely at her.

A few minutes later, she sat eating a large sundae and watching the family with the four children (who were now screeching requests to visit Quality Quidditch Supplies). A deep voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"Hi," Sirius said, standing next to the table. She looked up.

"Hey," she said.

"Can I sit?" he asked, gesturing to the empty chair opposite her. She nodded, feeling slightly self-conscious, although she didn't know why. "Where are the others?"

"Ron and Harry went to look at brooms, Hermione's gone to get _more_ books, and Ginny went to meet Dean."

"Are you not meeting anyone?" Sirius asked. Jasmine shrugged.

"My boyfriend's a Muggle," she said, by way of explanation. A strange expression passed across Sirius' face, but was gone so quickly that Jasmine couldn't figure it out.

"Oh." He paused for a second. "If you don't mind me asking," he said, "where does he think you disappear off to for most of the year?"

Jasmine laughed. "Boarding school."

"Oh. Well, I suppose that's partly true," he shrugged.

"I suppose you don't really meet many Muggles," Jasmine said to Sirius, finishing the last of her ice cream.

"Not really. It's one of those things that happens when you're a convicted murderer," he said dryly.

"But you're cleared now," she argued.

"Doesn't mean people believe I'm innocent. If anyone other than Dumbledore had gone up to the Minister of Magic and told them I wasn't guilty, I'd be back in my cell in Azkaban." He shivered slightly at the memory.

"Well, look on the bright side," Jasmine said cheerfully, "he's gone, you're free, and there's a sale on in Madam Malkins'!"

Sirius frowned. "That's supposed to be good news, is it?" he said flatly.

"Well you can't go around wearing that dirty old cloak forever," Jasmine said, getting to her feet and pointing out a large hole in Sirius' cloak; it was the one had been wearing in Azkaban. "You'll never get rid of that escaped convict image with this round your shoulders. Come on."

And she led him forcefully to the shop across the street.

* * *

An hour later, Jasmine, Sirius, Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny returned to 12 Grimmauld Place, laden with bags and boxes.

"Interesting," Jasmine said to Hermione as they sat down in the living room, "I didn't realize boys ever bought things." She gestured to the large boxes that Harry and Ron were holding.

"They're not exactly normal boys, though, are they?" Hermione pointed out.

Ron, as if to prove her point, suddenly grew three feet taller, his head nearly hitting the ceiling. Hermione jumped, startled, and frowned at Ron.

"What did you do to yourself?!" she asked him disapprovingly. He turned round and motioned to something black in his mouth.

"Leg-Lengthening Liquorice," he grinned.

Hermione groaned. "How long until you're normal again?" Ron was still grinning stupidly. "Or as close to normal as it's possible for you to be," she added.

"When he stops chewing the liquorice," Harry said.

"Why? Are you jealous, Hermione? Wish you could be as tall as me? Look! Look!" Ron flailed his arms around at the ceiling, "I can touch the ceiling! I – "

"_Accio liquorice_," Hermione sighed, pointing her wand at Ron's mouth. The sweet flew towards her, and she touched it with her wand, muttering "_Evanesco_." It vanished, leaving Ron standing at his normal height spluttering indignantly.

"I – but you – I – I needed that!"

"Needed what?" Mrs Weasley asked sharply as she entered the room, carrying a large cardboard box.

"Er – nothing, Mum," Ron said innocently, sitting down on the sofa next to Harry. Mrs Weasley eyed him suspiciously for a moment, and then her gaze fell upon the boxes on the floor.

"What did you buy, then?" she asked.

Ron stared down at the floor, looking extremely shifty. "Er..."

"This," Harry said quickly, holding out a small black box containing a struggling Snitch. "We thought we could...practise in the garden...or something." Mrs Weasley's expression softened.

"Oh, that's nice. Just make sure you don't let it escape. Stray snitches flying over London are the last thing we need." She left the room sighing, and Ron breathed a sigh of relief.

"What did you really buy?" Jasmine asked, peering at the box in Ron's hand. He smiled.

"Dungbombs," he said, lifting the lid. "Fred and George asked us to get them."

"Why?" Hermione asked apprehensively.

"They're working on altering them somehow," Harry said.

Hermione opened her mouth, no doubt to ask for the details of this 'altering', but then closed it. It seemed she had decided she didn't want to know.

* * *

"Are you sure that'll work?" Jasmine asked doubtfully, peering at Fred.

"Of course I'm sure. You weren't sure about the Headless Hats, were you?"

"Well, I – "

"_Or_ the Nose-Growing Gumdrops."

"Yes, but – "

"You _ridiculed_ the Naked Necktie."

" I didn't – "

"And you doubted _all _the – "

"Stop!" Jasmine begged.

Fred and George were sitting in their room in the attic, accompanied by Jasmine, Ron and Harry. They were working on their latest invention, Undetectable Dungbombs. Fred had a Dungbomb clasped in his hand and was attempting to make it invisible. George was looking through a large book on Charms for inspiration.

"Okay, I'm sorry I ridiculed the Naked Necktie," Jasmine laughed. "And I admit that it is one of your finer inventions."

The Naked Necktie was George's pride and joy. A tie that appeared like any other, the Naked Necktie caused the wearer to lose all their clothes except their underwear and remain in this state until they removed the tie. After nearly being tricked into donning the tie once, Jasmine had become extremely wary of anything offered to her by Fred and George. They had become wise to her plan, however, and now proceeded to leave enchanted items lying around, in the hope that Jasmine would make use of them. This had resulted in a rather unfortunate incident in which Jasmine had mistaken a Headless Hat for her own school hat, and had caused several students who had passed her in the corridor that morning to scream and run for cover from the chilling apparition that had emerged in front of them. Jasmine had been puzzled by their strange behaviour until Hermione, tired of Fred and George's pranks, had whipped the hat off her head and disposed of it, sighing and muttering disapprovingly.

"Right, here goes," Fred said, pointing his wand at the Dungbomb and flicking it gently. Nothing happened.

"Try again," George prompted. Fred repeated the wand movement, but his attempt was again unsuccessful.

"Let me try," Jasmine said, pulling out her wand. She flicked it violently at the Dungbomb. There was a loud bang, and a small explosion occurred as a shower of sparks flew out of the wand. "Oh, shit!" Jasmine cursed as the Dungbomb caught fire. Fred let out a yelp and dropped it, clutching his hand. George grabbed his wand from the bed beside him and caused a jet of water to spray out of the end, extinguishing the flames with a hiss.

"Well done, Jasmine," Fred said sardonically, but he was smirking along with George, Ron and Harry.

"Sorry!" she said again, grinning. "Charms never was my best subject!"

"I'll say," George said wryly, mopping up the water on the floor with his pillow.

"So, Jasmine, any more bright ideas?" Fred asked sarcastically.

"Shut up," she said moodily, throwing the charred remains of the Dungbomb at him.

"Hermione would know what to do," Ron said. "You know, about the spell."

Harry frowned at him. "That's the third time you've said something like that in the last hour," he said.

Ron gave what he obviously thought was a casual shrug, but the fact that he blushed crimson ruined the effect slightly. Fred gave George a knowing wink, which luckily Ron didn't see.

"Well, seeing as I'm obviously no use here, I'm going to go downstairs," Jasmine said, flicking a fragment of burnt Dungbomb at Fred and grinning as she left the room.

* * *

Jasmine entered the living room to find Sirius sitting on one of the big green sofas, a piece of parchment and a quill in his lap and a glass of wine in his hand.

"Hi," he said, glancing briefly at her.

"Hey," she replied, searching for the book she had left in the room earlier. She picked it up off the coffee table and settled herself on the other sofa. "What're you doing?" she asked Sirius curiously. He looked up.

"Writing a letter," he replied.

"Who to?"

Sirius frowned, as if he thought she was being nosy.

"That's for me to know," he said, turning back to the parchment. Jasmine shrugged and began to read. After several minutes, she was interrupted by the sound of her mobile phone ringing. Sirius looked up to investigate the source of the noise.

"What's that?" he asked, gesturing to the phone in Jasmine's hand.

"Mobile phone," she explained, putting the phone to her ear. "Hello?" After a few seconds, her eyes widened in shock. She looked around the room frantically, as if searching for some way of escape. "Er...yeah, erm...hold on a minute." She took the phone away from her ear. "Sirius!" she mouthed. He frowned inquisitively, taking a sip of his drink.

"Yes?" he said.

"Can you call my name? Quite loud?" she whispered urgently.

He looked puzzled. "Why – "

"Just do it!" she hissed. Sirius was utterly bewildered, but obliged.

"Jasmine!" he called loudly. Jasmine put the phone to her ear again and yelled.

"Yeah? Er...okay!" She lowered her voice. "Sorry, I've got to go, someone's calling me. I'll talk to you later, okay? Okay, bye."

Sighing, she pressed a button on the phone and put it down on the table.

"Are you going to explain?" Sirius asked. Jasmine sighed again.

"My boyfriend," she said wearily. "He keeps pestering me."

Sirius wondered whether to inquire further; he didn't want to pry.

"Why?" he asked tentatively.

"Cause I slept with someone else," she said bluntly. Sirius choked on his drink.

"I – you – you what?!" he spluttered. Jasmine shrugged.

"Don't know why he's so bothered," she said indifferently.

Sirius was completely nonplussed; he had no idea what to say. It came as a shock to him that Jasmine had slept with _anyone_; she was barely sixteen! _You can't talk,_ a nagging voice in the back of his head reminded him, _think about yourself when you were her age!_

"Why – why did you do that?" Sirius asked, before he could stop himself. Jasmine considered.

"I was bored, the guy was hot, what would you have done?" She paused. "Well, if he was a girl."

"I – er..." Sirius again had no idea what to say. He was shocked by her openness and the fact that she was casually talking about this rather personal subject with him. "I don't know. What about your boyfriend?"

Jasmine shrugged again and opened up her book, clearly not intent on discussing the matter further. Sirius was left gazing in astonishment at the girl on the sofa, finding himself inexplicably drawn to her, though he had no idea why.

* * *

Well, that's it for chapter 2! I know she seems like a bit of a slut, but give her a chance, you haven't heard the full story yet! Please please review!


	3. Wild

**A/N: **Well, here it is, chapter 3. Rated PG-13 for some implied sex. It'll all make sense in the end. Please read and review. By the way, Hestia is supposed to be a complete Mary-Sue, you'll see why later.

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

The next day after breakfast, Jasmine retired to the attic. Fred and George's tampering with magical objects was always guaranteed amusement, and she was bored. She found Ron and Harry already there, each clutching spell books and poring over them. Fred and George were lying on their stomachs, absorbed in a large dusty volume entitled "Charmes For The Advanced Magical Minde". Hermione was sitting on the bed, also reading a book, but unlike the others, this came as no surprise to Jasmine.

"What is this, the Homework Club?" she said mockingly, stepping over the parchment and assorted magical objects strewn across the floor.

"Ssh," George said, handing her a book. "We're looking up invisibility spells."

"No thanks," Jasmine said, pushing the book away. "Besides, you'd probably blow up the room with any spell I recommended."

Ron snorted. "It wasn't as bad as when I had that old malfunctioning wand, remember?"

Jasmine nodded. "True."

At that moment, Ginny entered, holding a piece of toast. "You're not still holed up in this attic, are you?"

Fred grunted and waved at her, as if to tell her to be quiet.

"They're looking up spells for the Dungbombs," Jasmine explained.

"So..." Ginny began curiously, "What are you actually planning to do with these?"

Fred sighed wearily and looked up.

"Obviously, Ginny, we are planning to make them invisible," he said.

"And we're improving them," George smirked. Hermione looked up from her book, frowning; obviously she had not heard about this part of the plan.

"Wha – "

"Please, Hermione, we're trying to read," George said in a long-suffering voice.

* * *

Several hours later, Fred and George had succeeded in making a Dungbomb appear invisible. Unfortunately, Jasmine had accidentally flung it across the room and now the group were unable to find it.

"You shouldn't be allowed up here, Jaz," Fred said crossly, peering under the bed.

"Yeah," George agreed, "you're a hazard."

Jasmine rolled her eyes and lay back against the wall.

"Okay, so I'm a bit clumsy..."she said.

Fred snorted. "That's an understatement! The only person clumsier than you is Tonks!"

"Oh, shut up," she retorted, yawning.

"You could use a Locator Spell," Hermione suggested.

"Good plan." Jasmine took out her wand. "_Inv –_ "

"Oh no you don't!" George said, pulling the wand out of her hand. "You'll probably fill the room with spiders or something."

Ron sat bolt upright. "I'll do it," he said quickly. "I don't want any spiders in here..." He stared around the room as if expecting to see one, and took out his wand.

"Do you remember the incantation?" Hermione asked. Ron glared at her.

"Yes!" he said irritably. "_Invenio Dungbomb_!"

There was a loud bang and a cloud of purple smoke filled the room. Everyone started coughing, unable to see anything, let alone the Dungbomb.

"What – did – you do?!" Hermione exclaimed in between coughing.

"I don't know!" Ron said anxiously, flapping his hands at the smoke in an attempt to clear it. A few seconds later, it disappeared.

"Nice one, Ron," Fred said sarcastically.

"Yeah," George said. "_Great_ idea."

"What spell was that?!" Harry asked.

"Obviously it's not just me who's clumsy!" Jasmine said, prodding Ron in the back.

Suddenly, the attic door opened. Everyone's heads turned to the doorway where Sirius was standing, frowning confusedly. Jasmine felt her stomach lurch inadvertently.

"What are you doing in here? What was that noise?" he asked, peering around.

"Nothing," George said guiltily. Sirius smiled.

"That's believable," he said.

"Well..." Fred said, trying to avoid the question, "what are _you_ doing in here?"

Sirius sighed. "I've been sent up from the meeting by your mother to investigate the source of the explosion."

"Ah," Fred said.

"So, what shall it be this time?" Sirius asked. "Accidentally sitting on the wand? Accidentally slamming the door? Falling over? Dropping the bed? A cleaning spell backfiring?"

"I think we'll go for a cleaning spell backfiring this time," George said. "Seeing as it's basically true. A lot of our spells seem to be backfiring lately." He glared at Jasmine.

"Yes, I wonder why that is?" Fred said, also glaring at her. Jasmine felt herself going red.

_Great, make me look like a squib, why don't you?_

"Shut up," she said moodily, looking down at the floor.

"Right, well, I'd better get back downstairs then," Sirius said, brushing his hair out of his eyes and closing the door behind him.

"Thanks a lot, George!" Jasmine said crossly. "You made me look like an idiot!"

George looked surprised. "You knew I was only joking," he said.

Jasmine shrugged. "Whatever," she sighed.

"Shall we go and listen in on the meeting?" Harry suggested, changing the subject.

"In a few minutes, after we've found the Dungbomb, okay?" George said.

* * *

Sirius sat in the kitchen drumming his fingers on the table. Most of the Order were gathered around it, awaiting the arrival of Hestia Jones, who was going to go through some Ministry documents with them. _Great_, thought Sirius sarcastically. _A wonderful way to spend my evening._ He had never met Hestia Jones before, but judging by the high praise McGonagall gave her, she was probably just as boring as half of the people in the Order.

"Why do we have to have a meeting?" Sirius asked Lupin grumpily. "It's not important stuff, it could wait till tomorrow."

Lupin smiled gently.

"Give her a chance, Sirius. I have a feeling you'll like her."

Sirius snorted. "Sure. I don't exactly – "

"Ah, Hestia, here you are!" came McGonagall's voice. Sirius looked up reluctantly, and was startled.

Hestia Jones was absolutely stunning. She had a thin face framed by thick, glossy black hair, bright blue eyes sparkling under long black lashes, and dark eyebrows. Her cheeks were pink and rosy, but the rest of her complexion was like porcelain. She looked no older than twenty-eight. Her lips curved in a shy smile as she entered the room and sat down opposite Sirius, who was still staring at her open-mouthed.

"Close your mouth," Lupin said quietly to him, smiling. Sirius blinked forcefully to clear his head, but he could not take his eyes off the beautiful witch in front of him.

"Have you come straight from the Ministry?" McGonagall asked her. Hestia nodded.

"Oh, then you must be thirsty! A cup of tea?" Mrs Weasley asked.

"No thank you," Hestia said politely, shaking her head. Mrs Weasley looked slightly disappointed.

"As you all know, Hestia has been keeping track of the Ministry's plans since they were alerted to You-Know-Who's return," McGonagall said, addressing the table. "Now," she turned to Hestia, "that's enough from me. Why don't you read us your report?"

Sirius tried to pay attention as Hestia started to read, but her appearance was extremely distracting. He hoped he wouldn't be asked for his opinion on her report at the end.

* * *

Just as Fred and George traipsed down the stairs, each clutching handfuls of Extendable Ears and followed by Hermione, Ginny, Harry, Jasmine and Ron, the kitchen door opened and several people came out.

"Ssh!" they hissed to the others, shrinking back against the banister to watch the people below.

Sirius, Mrs Weasley, Kingsley, McGonagall, Snape and a black-haired witch were walking through the hall, talking. Jasmine was wondering who the witch was when Fred suddenly cried out.

"Shit!" he cursed, staring down into the hallway. "The Dungbomb!"

"Wha – "

"I dropped it!"

Mrs Weasley suddenly cried out in pain, and was joined by an ear-splitting shriek that filled the house. Mrs Black had obviously awoken.

"Oh God..." George moaned, staring fearfully down into the hall.

"I thought they put spells on her?!" Jasmine asked Hermione.

"They did!" Hermione said. "But they wear off after a while! Oh, dear..."

"What on earth – " Hestia began, but her questions were answered as the black curtains flew open to reveal Mrs Black's portrait. Jasmine flinched; she had forgotten quite how terrifying the picture was.

The old woman screamed and convulsed, her wild black hair standing on end, her gnarled fingers clawing at her surroundings.

_"VERMIN! VERMIN TRAILING GRIME THROUGH THE HOUSE OF MY ANCESTORS! FILTHY MUDBLOODS AND HALF-BREEDS SLANDERING THE HOUSE OF BLACK! VILE, ABOMINABLE..."_

Hestia screamed in shock, nearly falling over backwards, but Sirius caught her.

"Don't worry," he said. Mrs Weasley and McGonagall were heaving at the curtains, struggling to close them. After several attempts, they succeeded, and the hall fell silent. The echo of Mrs Black's screams still rang through the house.

"Wh – what was that?" Hestia asked breathlessly, closing her eyes.

"Enchanted portrait," Sirius said grimly.

"It's horrific!" Hestia shrieked. "Why don't you move it?"

"Permanent Sticking Charm," Kingsley explained.

"You're not serious?" Hestia said scornfully, seemingly recovered from her ordeal. She pulled out her wand and muttered something, pointing it at the portrait. There was a loud ripping noise, and the canvas suddenly fell from the wall. McGonagall flinched, backing away, but Hestia pointed her wand at the painting and stopped it in mid air, moving it down so that it rested on the floor.

"Heavens!" McGonagall exclaimed.

"How did you do that?" Sirius asked, staring at Hestia in amazement.

"You have to know things like that if you want to be an Auror." She smiled complacently.

"You are my saviour," Sirius said. "I've been trying to get that old hag down for years."

Hestia smiled. "Well, you owe me one then."

"Are you staying for dinner?" Sirius asked.

"If that's alright."

"Oh, goodness, I forgot to ask! How rude of me!" Mrs Weasley said apologetically. "Yes, you must stay for dinner, dear."

"Well, I must be off, Molly," McGonagall said.

"Are you sure you won't stay?" Mrs Weasley asked.

"No thank you, I must be going."

A few minutes later, Sirius ushered Hestia into the kitchen, amazed that they were getting along so well. Life in the Order was definitely looking up.

* * *

A few days later, Jasmine and Hermione sat restlessly in the living room. Fred and George were in the attic 'experimenting', and Harry, Ron and Ginny were practising Quidditch in the garden, which Lupin had magically enlarged.

"I'm bored," Jasmine said, taking her feet off the coffee table. "Shall we go for a walk?"

"We can't until the meeting's finished," Hermione said. "Remember, Mrs Weasley..."

Jasmine sighed. The previous day, Mrs Weasley had realized that Ginny was sneaking off to see Dean nearly every day, and had launched into an angry tirade about safety and Order security. She had then stated that no underage witch or wizard was to leave the house without her permission.

"So, how's Ron, then?" Jasmine smirked. Hermione frowned.

"You always ask me this! Ask him yourself!"

Jasmine smiled to herself. It was remarkable that Hermione, probably the brightest witch at Hogwarts for a long time, could be so dense over something that was staring her straight in the face. The door opened, and Harry, Ron and Ginny traipsed into the room, still clutching their broomsticks and looking flushed and exhausted.

"Have fun?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Harry said breathlessly, collapsing into the sofa.

"What – are – you doing?" Ron panted, leaning against the wall for support.

"Waiting for the meeting to finish so we can go out," Jasmine said.

"I think they're coming out now," Ginny said. "We heard them packing up."

"Excellent," Jasmine said, getting up. The sound of voices in the hall stopped her, and she opened the door a fraction and looked out.

"It's that Hestia woman again!" she whispered. "She's here practically every day now!"

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that," Ron said, craning his neck to peer into the hall.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

Ron turned back to her, embarrassed.

"Well, she's...I mean, she's quite – you know, she's..."

"Spit it out," Jasmine smirked.

"Er...well," Ron stammered, "she's like – she's – "

"Oh, forget it," Hermione said irritably.

"Oooh, I think Ron might have a crush!" Ginny teased, grinning.

"Shut up," Ron mumbled, his face crimson.

Laughter sounded from the hall; high, feminine laughter.

"Right, I'll go and see if we can go out now," Jasmine said, stepping out into the hall.

"Er, I think they're still – " Hermione began, but Jasmine had already gone.

Mrs Weasley was standing at the foot of the stairs, talking animatedly to Sirius and Hestia.

"Er...Mrs Weasley...?" Jasmine said tentatively.

Hestia turned round to see who had interrupted the conversation. She frowned at Jasmine.

"Who are you?" she asked coldly.

"Jasmine," Jasmine replied bluntly.

"Well, Jasmine, I think whatever you have to say could wait a second," she said pointedly.

"We're kind of in the middle of talking," Sirius said quietly to her. "Come back in a sec."

Jasmine raised her eyebrows.

"Mrs Weasley," she said boldly, ignoring Sirius and Hestia, "can Hermione and I go out now?"

Mrs Weasley looked puzzled, and then seemed to remember.

"Oh, yes. Sorry, dear, I forgot that you had to come and ask me! Yes, of course you can."

"Thanks," Jasmine smiled, turning away and going back into the living room, leaving Hestia looking slightly stunned.

"Honestly!" Jasmine said entering the living room and shutting the door behind her. "The way that woman was looking at me, you'd think I'd said something terrible!"

"They can probably hear you, you know," Ginny said lightly. Jasmine shrugged.

"Come on, let's go," she said, picking up her phone. "Are you coming?" she asked Harry, Ron and Ginny.

"Where are you going?" Ron asked.

"Dunno, just for a walk or something. It's better than being stuck in here all day."

"Yeah, alright," Harry said, propping his broomstick against the sofa.

* * *

Later that evening, Sirius sat on his bed, staring into space. He hadn't bothered to make the bed or turn on the lights, and was deep in thought. Hestia had said she was going to stop by later to drop off some Ministry documents, and Sirius was restless with anticipation. Ever since he had met her, he found himself thinking about her more and more.

She was the most beautiful woman he had seen for a long time, and the most accomplished witch he had met in years. _She's completely perfect_, he thought to himself. Granted, he had only known her for a week or so, but he looked forward to her visits to 12 Grimmauld Place more than anything.

He lay back on the bed, sighing. It was so long since he'd been around a woman as attractive as Hestia, but he got the impression that she liked him.

_Don't be stupid,_ he thought to himself. _She could have any man she wanted, why would she ever choose someone like me?_

A knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts.

"Come in," he said.

Jasmine entered the room, dressed in an obscenely short skirt and tight shirt and clutching her mobile phone.

"Is Mrs Weasley out?" she asked. "I can't find her anywhere."

"Yeah," Sirius said, wondering why she was dressed up like this. "She's gone shopping."

"Oh," Jasmine said, brushing her hair back. "Well, can I ask you if I can go out then?" She looked at him expectantly.

"Er..." Sirius said awkwardly. "Where are you going?"

"I'm meeting someone," she said brusquely.

"Who?" Sirius asked. He didn't really want to know, but he would need to tell Mrs Weasley who she was with.

"A boy," she said shortly, frowning slightly as if she thought he was asking too many questions.

_Ah. That explains the clothing_. He didn't like the idea of her going out dressed like a whore, but couldn't exactly tell her that.

"Well?" she asked impatiently. "Can I go?"

"Er...yes, alright then," he said uneasily. She turned to leave. "What time will you be back?"

She shrugged without looking back at him, and disappeared down the stairs, leaving Sirius feeling extremely ill at ease.

"Oh, that woman is here looking for you, by the way," she called up the stairs. He heard the front door shut behind her, and leapt up off the bed. Running his fingers through his long, dark hair, he took a deep breath and left the room, to find Hestia standing at the bottom of the stairs smiling cheerily.

"Hello," he said awkwardly, descending the stairs to meet her.

"Hi," she said. She looked back towards the front door. "That girl just walked out of here half-naked!" she said incredulously. "What does she think she is?!"

"Mmm, I know," Sirius said. "Shall we go into the kitchen?"

* * *

Jasmine walked briskly across the park, shivering in the chill evening breeze. She wrapped her arms around herself to try and keep warm. The sky was beginning to darken, and the park was fairly empty now; earlier that morning it had been bustling with people. The large expanse of grass looked oddly empty, circled by tall trees and bushes that were black silhouettes against the twilight sky. She shivered again, staring blankly at the grass beaneath her feet as she walked. A voice sounded from behind her, startling her.

"Hey."

She jumped round to see a tall, blonde boy with short, cropped hair standing in the bushes.

"Hi," she said. "You scared me."

He held out his hand, in which he was holding a large bottle of vodka.

"You want some?" he asked.

Jasmine looked uncertainly at the bottle. Truthfully, she really wasn't in the mood for drinking neat vodka. _Like I'd tell him that,_ she thought. _He'd think I'm a stupid lightweight._

"Sure," she said casually. He handed her the bottle, and she drank deeply from it, feeling the liquid burning her throat. _At least it'll warm me up a bit._

"Finish it," the boy said carelessly. "I've already had some."

Jasmine groaned inwardly. There was over half the bottle left. Now he would expect her to finish it. He probably wanted her drunk. She drank the rest of the bottle quickly, fighting the urge to cough and throw it all up on the ground. Her head spun slightly; she knew she would be feeling the effects soon enough.

"Come here, then," the boy said when she'd finished drinking. He motioned for her to join him in the bushes by the side of the park. Jasmine sighed._ Here we go... _

Reluctantly, she approached him. Without so much as a word, he grabbed her by the shoulders and stuck his tongue forcefully down her throat, pulling her against him. Within seconds, he was already unbuttoning her shirt. His hands were like ice, and she shivered slightly. _Stop complaining,_ she thought to herself. _This is just how it goes. You don't want him to think you're a frigid virgin or something, do you?_ He pushed her down onto the ground, and she flinched as stones and twigs scraped against her. She wondered if he even remembered her name.

* * *

Sirius, Hestia and Lupin sat at the kitchen table, awaiting the arrival of the rest of the Order. It was dark outside, but the kitchen was lit with several candles floating in mid-air.

"What time was the meeting scheduled for?" Sirius asked, looking up at the clock, which told him it was just after nine o'clock.

"Nine thirty," Hestia replied.

"Oh. How come you – "

"I got here a bit early, you know, so I could show you these documents and get your, well, seal of approval." She laughed, taking a sip from her drink.

"Well, I approve," Sirius said.

"Excellent. So," she turned her gaze towards him, "what did you do today?"

"Er..." Sirius said. "Nothing much. Cleaned up a bit. Yourself?"

"Oh, just the usual Order business. Training, you know."

Sirius frowned. "Training? What do you need training for? You know it all already!"

Hestia laughed. "Don't be silly," she said.

"Well, no one I know could remove that Permanent Sticking Charm," he pointed out.

"Well, it's nice of you to say that, but really, I'm just your average Auror."

"Are not," Sirius said, grinning.

"Am too!" she said, poking him teasingly.

"Are not!" Sirius said.

Lupin excused himself suddenly and left the table. Sirius remembered it was the full moon. Usually he would go and check up on him, but he couldn't leave Hestia. _I'll do it later,_ he told himself. _He'll be fine, anyway_.

"Okay," Hestia said, smiling. "Do you want to know the real reason I came early?"

Sirius' stomach lurched. She couldn't possibly be about to say what he _thought _she was about to say, could she?

"Um...okay," he said awkwardly.

"Well, I thought we should have a proper chat," she said. "I know hardly anything about you."

Sirius felt slightly disappointed, then reprimanded himself. _Did you really think she was going to tell you that she likes you too?!_

"Oh," he said, hiding his disappointment. "Well, there's not really much to know. I mean – oops!"

He had knocked over his drink. Butterbeer was seeping all down the front of his robes. He stood up, cursing.

"Oh, God..." he said, attempting to wipe it off.

"Don't worry," Hestia said, jumping up and pulling out her wand. "There you go."

The butterbeer disappeared.

"Tha – _hey_!" Sirius exclaimed indignantly.

Somehow, Hestia had turned his robes bright pink.

"Much better," she smiled.

* * *

Jasmine staggered back from the park, feeling even colder than she had on the way there. Her legs were scratched from lying in the bushes, and there were leaves tangled in her hair. She kicked an empty drink can on the road dejectedly, watching with satisfaction as it bounced into the wheel of a car. Scuffing the ground with her trainers, she stumbled slowly down the deserted street.

She felt gloomy and miserable. The boy – Matt, she thought he was called – had ridden off on his bike without even so much as a goodnight kiss. Of course, she was used to this, but it would have been nice if maybe he'd offered to call her. She supposed that was just how it went; you sleep with a boy, and if he likes you, he'll call. Her boyfriend, Jason, was pretty much the same. He called her when he wanted her to come over for sex, and that was about it. She didn't complain; she didn't want him or her friends to think she was frigid. Besides, Jason made her feel safe. Even when he came back from sleeping with other girls, he told her how sorry he was and how much he loved her. She was glad she had him.

Sighing, she turned a corner into Grimmauld Place. She knew that was just how it was supposed to be, and she'd have to get used to it. She should be flattered, anyway, that boys found her attractive. Maybe they just didn't call her because they had girlfriends.

She walked slowly up the path to number 12, and knocked on the door. Tonks opened it, grinning, her hair in long pink plaits.

"Hey, Jasmine."

Jasmine entered the warm hallway and shut the door behind her. Tonks went into the living room. Realizing she hadn't eaten since lunch, Jasmine made her way to the kitchen.

Her vision was slightly blurred; the effects of the vodka were beginning to kick in. She shook her head to clear it, hearing faint sounds of laughter from inside the kitchen as she opened the door.

Sirius and Hestia were standing by the fridge, laughing hysterically about something or other. Jasmine raised an eyebrow; Sirius was wearing hot pink robes.

"Oh, Jasmine," Hestia said through her laughter. "We need some female advice: doesn't this colour look _wonderful_ on Sirius?" She and Sirius were grinning stupidly at each other.

Jasmine shrugged.

"Yeah," she said, "if Sirius was gay."

She yanked open the fridge, ignoring the fact that Hestia was standing in front of it, and pulled out a bottle of butterbeer. Slamming the door shut, she strode out of the room without a backward glance at Hestia and Sirius, who had stopped laughing and were watching her in astonishment.

Jasmine banged the kitchen door shut behind her and walked up to her room. Glad to see it empty, she sat down on the bed, kicking off her shoes and leaning back against the wall. She was in no mood to join in the jolly hysteria in the kitchen. There was something about Hestia Jones that she really did not like. Downing the last of her butterbeer in one gulp, she slid miserably under the duvet, hoping that sleep would put an end to her unhappy reverie.

* * *

Well, there you have it. Please review.


	4. Smashed

**A/N: **Woo, aren't you lucky, two chapters in one day! I started to write a bit of chapter 4 and turns out I finished it, so here you go. Please read and review.

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, all HP characters belong to JK Rowling. But any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

Jasmine woke up the next morning to find Ginny still asleep. Light had begun to filter in through the thin white curtains; it was obviously going to be another hot summer day.

She sat up wearily, rubbing her eyes. Lowering her hands, she saw black smudges on them; she hadn't bothered to remove her make up before she went to bed. Her hair was tangled and messy and her head ached dully. She was still fully clothed. Her duvet lay discarded on the floor; evidently she had kicked it off in the night.

"Jaz?" came Hermione's timid voice.

She looked up; Hermione was sitting up in bed, a book open in her hands, looking concernedly at Jasmine.

"Yeah?" Jasmine said hoarsely.

"Are you okay? We didn't see you last night."

"Mmm. I was tired, I came straight to bed," she said. It was partly true.

"Oh, okay then." Her face brightened. "Ooh, how did it go with that boy? Matt?"

The memories came flooding back to Jasmine, and she closed her eyes.

"Erm...okay. Yeah, it was good," she lied, not wanting to go into detail.

"Sirius said you seemed a bit angry when you came in. I came up to see you but you were asleep."

"Nah, I was fine," Jasmine said. "Just tired."

"Oh, okay then," Hermione said, looking at her watch. "Shall we go and have lunch?"

"Lunch?! What time is it?"

"One o'clock."

Jasmine sighed. "Mmm, okay."

She dragged herself out of bed and removed her skirt, pulling on a pair of faded jeans. Her head was still aching, and she groaned, holding a hand to her forehead.

"Headache?" Hermione asked sympathetically.

"Hangover," Jasmine moaned, dragging a brush through her hair. Hermione raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

A loud, high-pitched shriek of laughter sounded from downstairs.

"Oh God," Jasmine groaned. "That woman isn't here _again_, is she?"

Hermione nodded, looking puzzled. "Why? Don't you like her?"

"No," Jasmine said frankly.

"Why not?"

"Oh, I don't know," Jasmine sighed. "I'm sure she's perfectly nice, but she just irritates me. Always looking down her nose at me."

She walked into the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water, followed by Hermione, who stood in the doorway.

"Oh my God," Jasmine said, on seeing her reflection in the mirror above the sink. "I look like shit."

* * *

Jasmine knew that lunch would not be a pleasant affair the minute she heard Hestia's laugh as she opened the kitchen door. However, she was starving and didn't want to disappoint Mrs Weasley, who Hermione said had prepared a lavish lunch for everyone. The smell of roast chicken was too tempting to resist.

Jasmine walked into the kitchen, seeing everyone gathered around the table. Mrs Weasley was poised, ready to carve a large chicken that sat in the centre, surrounded by dishes of vegetables.

"Jasmine, dear!" she exclaimed, rushing over to her. "Are you feeling okay? You haven't eaten since lunchtime yesterday!"

Jasmine smiled weakly. "I'm fine, thanks, Mrs Weasley."

"Well, that's good. Here you go." She shepherded Jasmine into a chair between Sirius and Lupin. Looking up, Jasmine was sorry to find herself sitting opposite Hestia.

"Good morning," Hestia remarked sardonically, helping herself to roast potatoes. Jasmine ignored her, reaching for the carrots.

"Jaz, were you okay last night?" Harry asked. She smiled, nodding.

"Yeah, just tired," she said, vaguely aware of Hestia and Sirius staring at her. She felt slightly guilty about snapping at Sirius the previous night; after all, he had done nothing wrong. Maybe she would apologise to him later.

Her gaze fell on Lupin, who was waiting patiently for the potatoes. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked rather pale. It was then that she remembered that the previous night had been the full moon. _Duh, _she said to herself. _ You looked at it for ages in the park when you were lying on your back in the bushes!_

"Are you okay?" she asked him quietly. She had always admired the way Lupin dealt with his horrific transformations; he never complained or made a fuss, always putting others above himself. He looked slightly taken aback by her concern, but smiled faintly.

"Yes, thanks," he said.

"Mum, George and I need to go to Diagon Alley," Fred said loudly.

"Not today, Fred," Mrs Weasley said, piling chicken onto his plate.

Fred and George looked outraged; they opened their mouths to protest, but a stern glare from Mrs Weasley silenced them. "There's an Order meeting today, so there'll be no one to go with you."

"Not all day there isn't!" George protested. Mrs Weasley ignored him, and he seemed to realize it was pointless to argue. It didn't stop him from shooting a dark glance at Fred, however. Jasmine wondered what they were planning, and found herself displaying a strong likeness to Hermione when she asked herself if she really wanted to know.

* * *

"Jaaaasmine," Fred called loudly. Jasmine, who had just entered her room and was searching for her book, turned round. Fred and George were marching up the stairs, clutching their wands as if they were weapons.

"Prithee, come join us in the attic," George said.

"Yeah, it's not the same without you blowing things up," Fred smirked.

"Are you sure you really want me there?" She smiled wryly.

"'Course we do. Nothing like ruining the attic to brighten our day," Fred said, beckoning her.

Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Harry were already there when Jasmine, Fred and George entered the attic.

"Ooh, good, you're here," Ginny said, looking up at them. "Listen, we think we should listen in on the meeting this evening. Mum and Dad were whispering a lot at lunch; we think it might be important."

"Also, lots of people have turned up. Kingsley, Emmeline Vance, Daedelus Diggle, Hestia – "

"Hestia's nearly always here though, lately," Fred pointed out.

"Luckily for Ron," Ginny smirked.

Ron turned pink and threw a book at her. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Why do you need to go to Diagon Alley, by the way?" Harry asked George.

Instantly, his and Fred's faces both broke into identical grins.

"New project," he beamed.

"Very exciting," Fred agreed.

"Would you care to enlighten us?" Jasmine asked.

"All in good time, my dear, all in good time," George said, patting her on the head.

"You're not going to make anyone _naked_ again, are you?" asked Hermione apprehensively.

"Oh no," Fred grinned. "_So_ much better than that."

Suddenly, Jasmine's phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered, raising the phone to her ear. "Oh, hey. Yeah. Tonight?" She frowned, biting her lip. "I don't know, I – oh, okay then...yeah. The park? Well, er...okay, yeah, if you want. Bye."

She hung up, looking slightly remorseful. _Not again..._

"Who was it?" Harry asked.

"Jack," she said.

"Who's Jack?" Fred asked, sitting down by the bed and throwing a Dungbomb into the air absent-mindedly.

"Just a boy I know," Jasmine said, pocketing the phone. She looked around the room, searching for something to say. "Well, the meeting's on in a few hours, so I suggest we help you two," - she gestured to Fred and George - "with one of your crazy ideas, and then go and listen in."

* * *

"I'm telling you, Minerva, there's nothing we can do!" Sirius said hotly. "We've tried everything!"

"We're going to have to do something, Sirius, or there'll be twenty escaped murderers running around here!" McGonagall said angrily.

"But what you're suggesting is absurd!" Sirius replied incredulously. "What makes you think the Dementors would even listen to us? What makes you think they wouldn't just swoop down on us and – "

"Sirius, calm down," Lupin said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Minerva, I understand your concern," Snape said, "but Azkaban security has proved sufficient so far. Even if a prisoner managed to break out of his cell, there are Anti-Disapparition Jinxes – "

"How do we know they can't be broken?" McGonagall cut in sharply. "These prisoners are followers of You-Know-Who himself, for heaven's sake! I'm sure they're able to push aside a small barrier like an Anti-Disapparition Jinx!"

"To be fair, Minerva, the Jinxes did seem to keep the Death Eaters contained in the Department of Mysteries," Arthur Weasley pointed out evenly.

There was a silence, in which McGonagall sighed heavily.

"But even if they don't Disapparate," Tonks said, "they could attack the guards!"

"The guards are superb Aurors," Kingsley said. "It is doubtful that they would not survive a Death Eater attack."

"Trained a few of 'em myself," Moody growled.

"That hardly makes them invincible!" McGonagall said sharply. "If – "

"Minerva, the guards outnumber the Death Eaters five to one," Kingsley said soothingly. "And besides, backup can be sent to Azkaban in a heartbeat."

"Can we get back to the original subject of this meeting?" asked Sirius impatiently, leaning back on his chair.

"Yes," said Arthur Weasley, rustling some papers. "Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Ah yes," Snape said silkily, "your dear cousin, Black."

Sirius' chair came crashing back to the ground. He glowered at Snape as if he would have liked nothing more than to smash his fist into Snape's face. Fortunately, he refrained from doing so.

"She is nothing to _do _with me!" he snarled angrily. Snape merely sneered at him.

"Severus! Sirius!" McGonagall said angrily. "We are here to discuss a highly important matter, and we don't need you two behaving like _children_!"

There was a brief pause.

"Severus, if you'd like to pick up where we left off?"

Snape cleared his throat. "Well, as I have said, Bellatrix is now closely guarded by the Dark Lord," he said. "It seems she has become a personal favourite of his, and he is aware of the fact that someone will be seeking to avenge Black's death."

"But I – " Sirius began.

"He is unaware," Snape interrupted, "of the fact that Black is alive, and obviously it would be extremely unwise to let such information fall into his hands. Dumbledore has therefore requested that Black remain at Headquarters until further notice."

"_What?!"_ Sirius exclaimed furiously, sitting bolt upright and staring at Snape.

"He believes it would be unwise to let the Dark Lord know that you are alive," Snape repeated, his upper lip curled in a sneer, "in case he attempted to use you in one of his plans; as bait for your dear godson, for example."

"I don't _believe_ this!" Sirius exclaimed angrily, banging his fist on the table.

"Sirius – " Hestia tried to reason with him, but was cut off.

"NO! I WILL NOT BE LOCKED UP INSIDE THIS HOUSE AGAIN!" Sirius shouted, standing up, his face contorted in fury.

"Then you are putting Harry in very great danger!" Lupin shouted suddenly, standing up and facing him. Sirius was shocked; Lupin never lost his temper. He knew he should sit down and be sensible, but rage was coursing through him like poison.

"I AM NOT GOING TO SIT BACK AND LET EVERYONE ELSE DO THE FIGHTING!" he shouted feverishly, shoving his chair back under the table and stalking out of the room. "FORGET IT!"

* * *

Outside the kitchen door, Fred, George, Jasmine, Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Harry scrambled frantically to free themselves from the tangle of Extendable Ears before Sirius could emerge from the other side.

"Quick!" Ginny hissed, darting into the nearest doorway – the study. The others stumbled in after her, Jasmine nearly smashing the bottle of butterbeer she was holding, just as Sirius appeared through the kitchen door. His face was twisted in fury and he slammed the door behind him, stamping angrily towards the living room.

"Oh dear..." Hermione said anxiously. "Do you think he's alright?"

"Judging by the yelling and the door-slamming, I think it's safe to say he's not," George said, peering round the corner as Sirius disappeared into the living room.

"I can't believe Dumbledore would do that to him again," Harry said.

"I'll go and see if he's okay," Jasmine said. Ignoring the others' dissuasion, she strode down the hallway to the living room, still clutching her half-empty bottle of butterbeer. She felt sorry for Sirius, and hated seeing him lose his temper like that.

He was standing in the middle of the room, with his back to her, staring out of the window into the empty street outside.

"Hi," Jasmine said.

He didn't even acknowledge her presence; he just kept staring out of the window.

"Are you okay?"

"What do you think?" he snapped.

"Look, Sirius, I – "

"No! Please, just leave me alone, Jasmine."

She was taken aback; she knew he was angry, but yelling at her wasn't going to solve anything.

"No," she said stubbornly.

"What do you mean, '_no'_?!" Sirius asked incredulously, turning around to face her. "I won't ask you again! Just leave me alone!"

"Why?" she asked steadily. "So you can sit here and feel sorry for yourself?"

"This is none of your business!" he shouted angrily.

"I don't care! I was just trying to be nice and see if you were okay!" Jasmine shouted back.

"Well I don't want you to! Just go _away_!" Sirius yelled, turning away again.

"Fine," she said coolly. "But you should grow up and stop taking it out on me. It's not my fault you have to stay here."

And with that, she stalked out of the door, leaving Sirius standing in the middle of the room feeling worse than he had before. It wasn't the fact that he had shouted at Jasmine that bothered him, or the fact that she had walked out on him. It was the fact that she had been right.

Jasmine slammed the door behind her, only to see Hestia standing there, her red lips pursed inquisitively. Obviously she had also decided to see if Sirius was okay.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you," Jasmine said irritably, full of anger at Sirius. "He's in a foul mood."

Hestia gave her a disdainful look.

"I think what Sirius needs right now is some adult advice," she said, raising her eyebrows. "The last thing he needs is an unrestrained _teenager_ verbally abusing him."

Jasmine opened her mouth in outrage, but Hestia had already slipped into the living room. After waiting a few seconds, she was incensed to see that Sirius did not shout at Hestia and tell her to leave him alone.

She felt as if someone had just lit a firework in her head. _How dare he?!_

"FINE THEN!" Jasmine screamed, hurling the bottle of butterbeer at the door. It smashed into hundreds of pieces, splattering liquid over the hallway. The sight of it trickling down the white surface calmed her slightly, and she leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes and trying to block everything out. She could feel blood pounding in her ears, and willed herself to be calm as she stared at the blackness behind her eyelids.

"Jaz?" Harry said, approaching her cautiously. "What happened?"

Feeling strangely drained, Jasmine opened her eyes. She shook her head.

"Nothing," she said. "I'm just overreacting."

"What did he say?" Hermione asked. "_Scourgify."_ The glass and butterbeer disappeared.

"He wouldn't listen," Jasmine said.

* * *

"Sirius, you mustn't let it get to you," Hestia said soothingly, resting a calming hand on his shoulder. "You have every right to be angry."

Sirius was silent, his anger slowly evaporating.

"Especially with that _girl_," Hestia continued. "You mustn't let some self- righteous teenager get you worked up like this."

Sirius sighed, realizing she was right. Of course he had a right to take it out on Jasmine! After all, she had come barging in trying to tell him what to do!

"Just ignore it. They're all the same – all think they know best."

She sighed sympathetically. Sirius nodded.

Jasmine couldn't possibly understand. She had probably only come to see him out of guilt for snapping at him the night before. Hestia was right – she was just a silly little girl. He closed his eyes, glad that he was seeing sense. He felt the last of his anger ebb away as he looked up at Hestia, thankful that she was there to help reason with him.

* * *

Jasmine lay on Fred's bed in the attic, her head resting on her arms. Normally she would have been talking animatedly along with the others, but she felt distant and miserable since her encounter with Sirius and Hestia. Instead she listened vaguely to the conversation, her eyes closed. It had been going on for about an hour.

"Do you think maybe Dumbledore has another reason?" Hermione was saying.

"Like what?" Ron said.

"I don't know..." said Hermione. "But I find it hard to believe that he'd do that to Sirius again without a good reason."

"He'd better have one," Harry said darkly.

"Poor old Sirius," George said. "Maybe we should take him some Cheering Chews, Fred."

Fred nodded. "Or some Feverish Fudge."

"Or we could let Hestia Jones finish drooling all over him," Jasmine mumbled.

"I'm sure we'll find out why Dumbledore said that," Hermione said, seemingly refusing to believe that a man that she held in such high esteem as Dumbledore could do anything bad without a good reason.

"We'll have to listen at the next meeting," Ron said. "I wonder what Mum'll say to Sirius when he comes out of the living room."

"Most probably offer him a cup of tea," Fred grinned.

Jasmine's phone began to ring again, and she sat up, suddenly remembering that she had arranged to meet Jack in five minutes.

"_Shit_!" she said, glancing at her watch. "Hello? Yeah, I'm coming. Five minutes. Yeah. Bye."

"Hot date?" Fred asked.

"Sort of," Jasmine said dryly, getting up from the bed. "I'll see you later."

She ran down the stairs from the attic and into her room, pulling off her jeans and scrambling around, searching for a skirt. She unbuttoned several more buttons on her shirt, ran her fingers through her hair and drew some eyeliner haphazardly around her eyes. Cursing, she shoved her phone in her pocket and checked her appearance in the mirror. Her shirt wasn't tight enough, but it would have to do; she didn't have time to find anything else. She sprinted down the stairs and came to a halt at the bottom.

Sirius had just closed the front door; obviously he had said goodbye to Hestia a minute ago. He started when he saw her, eyeing her outfit disapprovingly.

"Where are you going?" he asked sternly.

"Out," she said shortly. He did not move from in front of the door.

"Have you asked Mrs Weasley?" he asked. Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"What do you think?" she said. "Now move, please."

"Who are you meeting?" he asked. Jasmine put her hand on her hip.

"Well, to quote you earlier, '_it's none of your business'_," she said coldly.

"I'm sorry, Jasmine, but you're not going out," he said firmly, folding his arms.

Jasmine eyed him contemptuously.

"Screw you," she said.

Before he could do anything, she had pushed past him and yanked the door open.

"Come back!" he shouted angrily as she flounced down the front path. Ignoring him, she disappeared into the night, her heels clicking rhythmically as she walked.

* * *

Well, there you go. Sorry it's a bit short, but please review and let me know what you think and whether I should carry on or not. Thanks :)


	5. Dead End

**A/N:** Chapter 5 is up! It's a bit shorter than the others, but hopefully chapter 6 will be up tomorrow or Thursday. Please read and review, and thanks to everyone who reviewed last time!  
  
**Tabytha:** Don't worry, I will carry on! Glad you noticed that she's pretty much only nice to Sirius...tell me what you think of this chapter.  
  
**Sunni07:** Woo, she's meant to annoy you, I'm glad she's annoying people because I was worried I'd accidentally make her nice and then everything would be ruined! I say we kill her too, but unfortunately that wouldn't really fit in so well with everything else!  
  
**Katriana Soulless:** Wow, I'm glad you feel that strongly about it (and I am continuing, so don't try to kill me!).  
  
**Disclaimer:** Sadly all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

Sirius woke up the next morning wondering why he felt so exhausted. He sat up, yawning, and all of it came rushing back to him.

Storming out of the Order meeting...shouting at Jasmine...being comforted by Hestia. He felt slightly better at the thought of Hestia, and how she had seemed genuinely concerned. Then he remembered Jasmine storming past him into the night, refusing to come back, and his spirits fell again.

He wasn't just angry with her for ignoring him; he was also worried. _No sixteen year old should be wandering around Muggle London on their own at night._ And the way she had been dressed... He had a sudden urge to make sure she had returned safely, but then realized that if anything had happened, he would have known by now.

Lying back down in bed, he wondered what he was going to do today. And then he remembered. He was stuck inside this cursed house again; unable to go out or do anything he wanted. It was like being locked up in Azkaban all over again. Feeling a sudden urge to hit something, he cursed loudly and got up. He tried to tell himself that it was only temporary, and that Dumbledore probably had a good reason which he would tell him soon...but that did nothing to quell the anger and misery that was coursing through him. Running his fingers through his hair, he made his way to the bathroom.

_Hestia will be here later,_ he remembered, feeling butterflies in his stomach, _and the last thing you want is for her to see you looking all sorry for yourself. So have a shower and put on some decent clothes, for God's sake._ He looked in the mirror, smiling. It was as if he was a teenager again, picking out his clothes carefully and making sure he looked his best to meet a girl. _Not just any girl,_ he reminded himself, pulling off his shirt. _Hestia. So get a grip_. And with that, he stepped into the freezing cold shower.

* * *

Jasmine was already at breakfast with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny, munching happily when Sirius entered the room. He was dressed in a white shirt and black jeans, and his hair was wet and tousled.

Jasmine felt a surge of discomfort pass through her. Last night was something she wanted to erase from her memory entirely. Yelling at Sirius...having an outburst in front of the others...being insulted by that woman...having to stand with her back scraping against a cold stone wall for half an hour while Jack repeatedly –

"Morning, Sirius," came Mrs Weasley's voice, slightly stiffly.

"Morning, Molly," Sirius said, equally uncomfortably as he sat down at the end of the table. There was an awkward silence, which Jasmine wished Fred and George were around to break.

"Jaz, are you going to eat that?" Ron asked, pointing at the croissant that lay untouched on her plate.

"What?" she asked distractedly. "Oh, no, you have it."

"Shall we go to Diagon Alley with Fred and George today?" Harry suggested, applying liberal amounts of marmalade to his toast.

"Yeah, there's nothing else to do," Ron said.

"Well you could make yourselves useful for a change," Mrs Weasley glared.

"You're right, we could," Ron said flippantly, finishing Jasmine's croissant. Mrs Weasley sighed, shaking her head, and returned to the sink.

"Is there an Order meeting today?" asked Sirius tensely.

"No, not today," Mrs Weasley replied. Sirius glanced around edgily and then, seemingly deciding he couldn't say what he had to say in front of the others, rose from the table and approached Mrs Weasley. Jasmine couldn't be bothered to try and listen in to their conversation; Sirius was obviously apologising for storming out of the meeting the other night.

_Oh sure, he apologises to her. What about me?_ She stabbed moodily at her bacon as Ron and Hermione bickered over the salt.

* * *

An hour later, Sirius sat in the drawing room awaiting Hestia's arrival. Even though there was no meeting, she had said she would stop by to make sure he was okay. _I can't believe I embarrassed myself like that in front of her, _he thought angrily. _She must think I acted like a petulant child._  
  
He got up and paced the room restlessly, staring out of the window to see if he could see Hestia in the street below. He was interrupted when the door opened, and Lupin entered. Sirius was overcome by a wave of guilt. Last night had been another full moon, and again he hadn't gone to check on Lupin. He remembered the way he had shouted at him during the meeting, and cursed himself for being so childish.

Lupin looked unsure of what to say as he stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"Remus – " Sirius began.

"No, don't worry about it," Lupin said, smiling weakly.

"But I – "

"You had every right to be angry," he said. "Maybe you didn't handle it too well...but we all have our bad days."

Sirius felt indescribably grateful towards his friend; the last thing he needed was to fall out with Lupin as well over his outburst.

"Okay," Sirius said, smiling. "Thanks."

Lupin waved it aside, walking into the room and putting his hands in his pockets.

"Waiting for someone?" he asked, smiling slightly. Sirius frowned.

"Why would you think that?" he asked, in what he hoped was an offhand voice.

"Oh, no reason," Lupin smiled. "I'll leave you to it, then."

He walked out of the room, still smiling mysteriously. Sirius shrugged and returned to the window. He could hear Jasmine and Harry talking excitedly as they climbed the stairs to the attic, and felt a small pang of uneasiness; they still had not spoken to each other. He was beginning to worry about where she kept wandering off to at night, but forgot all thoughts of Jasmine when he saw a certain black-haired witch walking quickly down the street, and rushed down to the door to meet her.

"Hi," he said breathlessly, smiling at Hestia, who was looking spectacular in pale blue robes that matched her eyes. "Come in."

"How are you?" she asked, stepping into the hall. "Feeling better?"

Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, thanks," he said. "Sorry about making a scene. I feel like a bit of an idiot."

She put a hand on his shoulder.

"Any normal person would have done the same," she said, her eyes meeting his. He felt himself blushing.

"Er...shall we go into the living room?" he asked awkwardly. She nodded, and he stepped in after her, feeling the familiar mixture of nerves and excitement that always accompanied his time with her. He remembered the cocky, self-assured, arrogant boy he used to be, and smiled wryly._ Come on_, he reprimanded himself, _get a grip. You're Sirius Black!_

* * *

Jasmine felt relieved when she heard the front door shut. Hestia Jones had gone at last.

"Finally," she muttered to herself, watching Fred demonstrating the improved version of the invisible Dungbomb to Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny. George was scribbling on a scrap of parchment.

"Fred," he called, "what else do we need from Diagon Alley?"

Fred shrugged. "Usual," he said. "Oh, and remember...you know."

He gave George a sly wink, causing Hermione to frown suspiciously at them.

"Whatever it is you're plotting, I really don't like the sound of it," she said. This only made Fred and George's grins even wider, much to Hermione's chagrin.  
  
"Are you coming with us to Diagon Alley then, little ones?" Fred asked, putting the Dungbomb safely in a box and pushing it under the bed.

"Yeah," Ginny said. "Mum says we don't need an adult if you're coming with us." She rolled her eyes. Fred snorted.

"I don't think George and I have the maturity of teenagers, let alone adults."

"I would have to agree," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "Shall we go, then?"

* * *

Sirius paced his room agitatedly, thoughts running through his head. The morning with Hestia had been wonderful, but now she had gone, and he was completely at a loose end. The house seemed smaller and more cramped now that it was practically his prison again; his room seemed darker and dingier than ever, and he was sure that the street outside would have looked more inviting even if it had been pouring with rain. He hadn't expected to be bored so soon; it was only the first day of his 'imprisonment', and already he was contemplating running from the house. He threw his pillow at the floor angrily, and sat down, his head in his hands, feeling like a caged tiger. He didn't see how his day could get much worse. But, as fate would have it, he soon found out.

The doorbell rang downstairs, and he didn't even bother to open his eyes.

"Sirius!" called Mrs Weasley up the stairs. "It's Severus, can you get it? I'm busy with lunch..."

Sirius groaned aloud, getting up reluctantly. No doubt Snape was here to deliver Lupin's potion. He knew that coming face to face with that greasy, hook-nosed git would only make him want to shove his fist into something (namely Snape's face), but he didn't want to anger Mrs Weasley.

"Coming..." he said unenthusiastically, walking slowly down the stairs and pulling open the front door. Sure enough, Snape's face materialized, sneering and disdainful as ever.

"Hello," Sirius said flatly.

"Ah, yes, I thought you might be here, Black," Snape said smoothly, breezing in through the door, a goblet clasped in his hand.

"Why's that?" Sirius asked coldly.

"Well, seeing as you have nowhere _else_ to go..."

Sirius felt hot anger flare up inside him. He knew Snape was trying to provoke him, but he wanted nothing more than to slam him into the wall and throw the contents of his goblet all over his face. _Good plan. He could use a wash._

"Shut up, _Snivellus_," he said through gritted teeth. Snape was about to utter a scathing reply when Lupin came out of the living room.

"Ah, Severus," he said politely. Sirius stalked back upstairs, not wanting to remain in the company of Snape any longer. He was sick of him, sick of Grimmauld Place, sick of everything. Without a thought or care for the consequences, he closed his eyes and Apparated to the first place that came into his head: Diagon Alley.

* * *

Jasmine, Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny were seated around a large, circular table outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, all enjoying large sundaes in various flavours. Fred and George had gone off to purchase 'essentials', and after half an hour of visiting various shops (Harry and Ron flatly refused to call at Flourish and Blotts with Hermione) the others had decided to take a well-earned break.

"Poor old Sirius," Harry sighed, absent-mindedly stirring his sundae. "I'd hate to be all cooped up inside like him."

"I'm sure it has its merits," Ginny smiled.

Ron frowned. "Like what?!" he asked incredulously. Hermione smiled too.

"Well, he certainly seems to be getting a lot of sympathy from Hestia Jones..."

Jasmine looked up. "That woman? I know..."

"I doubt he minds very much, though..." Ginny grinned. Ron raised his eyebrows.

"You think there's something going on with them?"

"Not yet," Hermione smiled. "But give it time."

"Well, I think he deserves a bit of happiness," Harry said.

"Really?" Ron asked doubtfully. "The idea of him with a woman...you know...doesn't make you feel a bit ill?"

Harry laughed, shrugging. "No, not really. It's not like he's my Dad or anything, he's more like a friend than a parent."

"Fair enough," Ginny said. She looked at her watch. "Is it time to meet Fred and George yet?"

"Yeah, we might as well go now. It'll take a while to get to Gringotts." They set off, ambling slowly towards the great mass of white marble that was Gringotts Bank. Ron stopped to eye the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies, but Hermione pulled him away, rolling her eyes.

"You've been in there three times today," she pointed out.

As they neared the entrance to the bank, manned by a small goblin in a majestic scarlet uniform, they saw no sign of Fred or George.

"They're probably late," Ron sighed, sitting down on one of the steps up to the entrance. However, a few seconds later he was hauled to his feet by the surprisingly strong goblin, who shook his head warningly at him.

"Humph!" Ron said huffily, folding his arms in annoyance. Harry laughed at him. Ron opened his mouth to reply, but was stopped as suddenly, an aged witch collided with him.

She was wearing dark blue robes, and was barely as tall as the goblin by the entrance.

"Oh, thank God I've found you!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide and fearful. She was clutching tightly at Ron, her shawl slipping down the back of her head. "It's your mother!"

Ron frowned. "My mum? What?" he asked, confused as to why this stranger was clutching frantically at him.

"Your mother! She's had an accident...I...I'm afraid the worst..."

"What?" Ginny asked anxiously, pushing past Harry. "Our mum?"

Jasmine's stomach dropped. She was reminded horribly of the night when Mr Weasley had been attacked. But who was this woman? How could she possibly know Mrs Weasley?

"She may be dying – I, I – she told me to find you!"

She was staring in terror at Ron and Ginny, her voice filled with panic.

Ron's bewilderment had now been replaced with fear and shock. His voice trembled.

"Wha – but, where is she?" The woman grabbed his hand and fled through the crowd. Unable to think of anything else to do, the others followed without a word.

"What's going on?!" Hermione asked, her voice scared and squeaky as she ran. Her eyes were wide and she looked as though she was about to cry.

"I don't know..." Jasmine said, a horrible feeling of dread in her stomach. How could anything have happened to Mrs Weasley at Grimmauld Place? Unless someone knew about headquarters...

Overcome with confusion and fear, Jasmine followed the others blindly through the throng of people, until they came to a dark alleyway behind the bank, partially blocked by a large dustbin.

"Behind there..." the witch said, in a voice that was barely a whisper. She suddenly burst into tears, covering her face with her hands and fleeing into the street, her cloak billowing out behind her.

Ron pushed past the dustbin.

"Mum?!" he called frantically. "Where – "

Jasmine, who had followed the others past the bin into the dark alleyway, froze in horror. Standing before them, wand raised, her black eyes glittering malevolently, was Bellatrix Lestrange.

* * *

Oooh, what a cliffhanger! Lol. PLEASE review, and expect chapter 6 tomorrow or Thursday.


	6. Soldier

**A/N:** I'm posting this sooner than expected...it's odd, because this was one of the chapters that I really didn't want to write...it's just a necessary part of the story, and I really couldn't be bothered to write it...but it turned out to be the chapter I've most enjoyed writing so far, so I hope you enjoy reading it! I didn't want to split this up from the rest of it (which will be chapter 7) but it was getting quite long for one chapter. No idea when chapter 7 will be up, pretty soon though because I'm looking forward to that one (I've written half)! Thank you to everyone who reviewed last time, and please read and review, because without reviews I have no idea whether it's good or not, and whether I should bother carrying on!  
  
**Sunni07:** Okay, I've updated, so now you have to review for ever and ever – you did promise, after all! Tell me if you like this one. And no sorry I can't kill her soon, she needs to stay in the story! Much as I would like to!  
  
**Kiku-san:** No, she's not a Voldemort supporter – just generally annoying and bitchy! Remember Sirius' wise words "the world isn't split up into good people and Death Eaters"...ahh, good old Sirius :-)  
  
**Tabytha:** Thank you...hope you're not too injured after your six inch fall..! Hope I haven't kept you waiting too long to see what happens to Harry and co!  
  
**Katriana Soulless:** Don't worry, you didn't have to wait till Thursday, here you go!  
  
**Disclaimer:** Sadly all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

Jasmine felt as if every muscle in her body had seized up. The others had frozen too, standing motionless in front of her, paralysed by shock and horror.

Before Jasmine's brain could tell her to run, Bellatrix had lifted her wand and caused the dustbin to slide across the alley, blocking their exit. Although not much taller than Ron, she seemed to tower above them; a deadly vision clad in black robes, her raven locks hanging sleek and shiny around her porcelain face. Her black eyes were filled with malice and triumph as she smiled exultantly.  
  
"Well, well, well," she grinned. "Harry Potter and his sidekicks."  
  
"What do you want?" Harry asked angrily.  
  
Hermione whimpered, staring frantically around her, searching for some means of escape. Her search was fruitless; they were surrounded on three sides by walls several storeys high, and on the other by a large dustbin. By the time they had moved it, Bellatrix would probably have killed them all. There was a large pile of bricks at the end of the alley, but there was no way they'd be able to get to them and throw them in time.  
  
"That's not very friendly, Harry," Bellatrix said, an expression of mock hurt on her face.  
  
"Voldemort send you, did he?" Harry asked heatedly. Ron and Ginny flinched at the sound of the name. "Getting you to do his bidding now, is he?"  
  
Jasmine admired Harry's bravery, but didn't see how it could help them in any way; in fact, it would probably just anger Bellatrix even more. Adrenaline was coursing through her, heightening her senses, but she couldn't see how they would help her escape alive. She wracked her brain frantically for some bright idea that would be of use, but found none.  
  
"As a matter of fact, Potter, the Dark Lord did send me here," Bellatrix said smugly.  
  
"I'm surprise he trusts you," Jasmine said loudly, before she could stop herself. "You weren't very useful in getting that prophecy, were you?" The words came out of her mouth before she could register how stupid she was being. Harry stared at her, stunned. Bellatrix's eyes flashed dangerously, and suddenly she looked angry. Jasmine had obviously touched a nerve.  
  
"How dare you!" she shrieked, pointing her wand at Jasmine. "Crucio!"  
  
Jasmine felt pain explode through her body, as if razor-sharp knives were stabbing her repeatedly all over; she was vaguely aware of falling, blinded by the pain that was twisting through her limbs. She had never known pain like this before; she was unable to think, screaming wildly and begging silently for it to stop; for her to die...anything.  
  
Suddenly, the pain stopped. Feeling dizzy and disorientated, she opened her eyes to find herself lying on the dirty concrete ground, aching as if someone was holding her in a vice-like grip. Bellatrix was standing in front of her smiling triumphantly.  
  
"I presume that will teach you not to answer back," she said, pursing her lips. She tucked her wand into her robes, seemingly satisfied that none of them would consider escaping now. She paced slowly around the alleyway.  
  
"So, Harry," she said conversationally, turning to him. "I suppose you're wondering why you're here?"  
  
Harry said nothing, glaring at Bellatrix, his green eyes filled with a hatred that Jasmine had never seen there before.  
  
"Well," Bellatrix continued as she walked, "I think maybe you and I should have a little heart to heart. Seeing as now," she grinned evilly, "I'm the only Black there is left."  
  
Harry lunged at Bellatrix, fists raised, but Ron and Ginny grabbed his arms and pulled him back forcefully. He struggled wildly, shouting angrily while flailing his arms about, attempting to free himself.  
  
"He's not – you didn't – "  
  
Hermione's eyes widened, and Jasmine realized it too. Harry was going to reveal to Bellatrix that Sirius was alive if he carried on like this. Jasmine didn't even want to think about what disastrous implications this could have.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione shrieked warningly. Harry seemed to get the message, but it didn't stop him struggling against Ron and Ginny.  
  
"Ooh, I seem to have struck a nerve," Bellatrix grinned nastily. "So, Potter." Her tone became almost businesslike. She clapped her hands together. "We never did get to finish that little lesson in the Cruciatus Curse, did we?" Her eyes sparkled viciously. Jasmine felt her mouth open in horror, but there was nothing she could to do still Bellatrix's wand as it pointed at Harry. "_Crucio."_

* * *

Sirius walked slowly through the streets of Diagon Alley, his cloak flapping behind him in the breeze. He knew he was disobeying Dumbledore's orders, but a part of him didn't care. He would suffer the consequences, but he might as well make the best out of his temporary freedom.

People bustled around him, chatting and laughing, and he felt as if he stood out amongst them; a lone figure, cloaked in black. Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed where he was going until someone collided with him.  
  
"Sirius!" Fred said in surprise, quickly hiding something behind his back. He and George were standing in front of Sirius, looking extremely guilty and surprised.  
  
"But...but you're – " George stammered, eyed wide in bemusement.  
  
Not wanting to discuss his rule breaking with Fred and George (though they would probably have been the best people to talk to) Sirius gave them a warning look that plainly stated "Not now".  
  
"Where are you going?" he asked them, raising an amused eyebrow as they struggled to conceal a large, bulky box between them.  
  
Fred rolled his eyes.  
  
"We were _meant_ to be meeting the others at Gringotts," he said. "They still haven't turned up."  
  
Sirius cast a glance over to the entrance steps of the bank. Several people were coming and going, but he saw no sign of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny or Jasmine.  
  
"It's not like Hermione to be late," George grumbled. "Unless she got lost in a bookshop or something."  
  
Fred sniggered. "Not likely. She knows them all off by heart by now."  
  
"I'll come and wait with you," Sirius said. He was going to have to return home sooner or later, and he might as well attempt to pretend that he had gone to Diagon Alley with the others to make sure they were safe. He snorted to himself at how pathetic he was being as he accompanied Fred and George to the Gringotts entrance, where they sat idly for several minutes, staring absent-mindedly at the throng of people flurrying past. He was about to ask George the time, when suddenly he heard it.

The faintest of screams, somewhere in the distance. He knew no one else would have heard it; one of the perks of being a dog as an Animagus was his heightened hearing ability. He frowned, wondering whether to take it seriously or not. _Probably just some kid messing around with a Dungbomb,_ he told himself. But when another scream sounded – a girl's this time – he jumped up from the wall on which he was standing.  
  
The screams hadn't sounded like surprised shouts uttered by hysterical teenagers upon explosion of a badly aimed Dungbomb; they had been full of terror and desperation, and chilled him to the bone.  
  
"Come on," he said gruffly to Fred and George, pushing his way through the crowd.  
  
"What? Why?" asked Fred in confusion.

Sirius ignored him and tried to trace the sounds of screaming; he was pretty sure they had not come from the busy street to his left. Breaking into a run, he sprinted down a small, twisted lane behind several houses, and turned a corner into a dark, dingy alleyway, craning his neck to peer over a large dustbin that blocked his way. The sight that met his eyes filled him with horror.

* * *

Bellatrix Lestrange was standing in the middle of the alley, laughing gleefully, her wand pointed at two figures which lay writhing and screaming on the ground. Ron, Hermione and Ginny stood terrified against the opposite wall, their faces white and aghast.

Sirius stood motionless for a second, unable to register what was happening, and then, filled with blind fury and hatred, he lunged over the dustbin at Bellatrix.  
  
With no comprehension of what he was doing, Sirius flew at his cousin, grabbing her by the front of her robes and slamming her against the wall of the alley. He heard the screaming cease beside him as Bellatrix's wand flew out of her hand onto the ground. Hermione ran to the wand and picked it up.  
  
Sirius turned to look at the woman he was ashamed to call his cousin. Her face was no longer exultant; her dark eyes widened in shock and confusion as she looked up at Sirius, and her mouth opened in bewilderment.  
  
"Wh – wha – " she stuttered blankly. "How – "  
  
"Stay away from them!" Sirius shouted, hitting her against the wall again. Bellatrix, recovering slightly from her confusion, fought to free herself, but Sirius was too strong for her.  
  
"You're dead!" she shouted wildly, her long white fingers clawing madly at him.  
  
"I'm more alive than you think!" he growled, pinning her arms to the wall. Suddenly, Bellatrix's face broke into a gleeful grin.  
  
"Ah, but are your dear godson and his precious girlfriend?" she asked. Feeling his stomach drop in fear, Sirius spun around to look at Harry and Jasmine. They were leaning against the wall, shaking and staring at him wide-eyed. Realizing Bellatrix had been trying to distract him, he spun back to her, but it was too late. Pulling herself free from his slackened grip, she snatched her wand off Hermione and thrust it precariously towards him. As a reflex, Sirius grabbed his own wand and pointed it at her, staring into her cold, contemptuous face.  
  
"Obviously I didn't do it properly last time," she sneered. "But this time, Black, believe me I will."

Her eyes narrowed in hatred, and she stabbed her wand forward. Instantly, Sirius was thrown back against the alley wall with such force that he swore he could feel bricks splintering against his spine. Pain shot through his body as he fell limply to the ground, still clutching his wand. He heard Hermione cry out, and looked up to see Bellatrix standing over him victoriously, sneering mercilessly.  
  
"I trust you remember how it felt when I killed you the first time?" she asked callously. Sirius' eyes flew open. He could remember as if it was yesterday.  
  
_He could feel himself falling backwards; as if invisible hands were pulling him back, trapping him so he was unable to move. He could hear screaming, fighting, high, triumphant laughter...  
Then suddenly the noises stopped. He fell through the veil, the ragged fabric enveloping him, shrouding him in darkness. He expected it to clear as he came out of the other side, but it did not. The shadows lingered all around him, and he was powerless. He flailed his arms around wildly, suddenly realizing he could move. But he was still falling; falling ceaselessly through an inky chasm, silence pressing in on his ears like a ghostly blanket._  
  
Sirius felt Bellatrix's foot slam into his gut; he cried out, doubling over in pain. He knew he couldn't stay on the ground, completely at her mercy, but he was unable to breathe, let alone move. She laughed cruelly, turning to Harry.  
  
"See this? See your precious godfather rolling around in the dirt?"  
  
"SHUT UP!" Harry and Jasmine yelled together.  
  
Sirius had never thought his godson's temper would ever prove useful to him, but he was wrong. Bellatrix raised her wand, clearly about to give Harry and Jasmine another blast of the Cruciatus Curse. This was just what Sirius needed. Regaining his breath, he dove at Bellatrix, pushing her away from the others. He pointed his wand at her.  
  
_"CRUCIO_!" he shouted.  
  
Her screams cut through him like a knife as she thrashed around in agony against the wall. He hated the Cruciatus Curse, hated using it, even on someone as deserving as this. Lifting his wand, he watched as Bellatrix fell limply to the ground, staring up at him, her expression one of pain and confusion.  
  
"Where did you come from?!" she asked.  
  
_Almost as soon as he had begun to fall, he hit the bottom. It was as hard and cold as stone, and he was unable to see anything. It was as if he was standing in a black abyss, devoid of light...of life.  
Scrambling to his feet, he peered around, trying to make some sense of the darkness that engulfed him like an obsidian mantle. He wanted to call out, to scream, but the silence that surrounded him muffled his cries as if someone had clapped a pillow over his mouth. He spun round, searching frantically for anything other than blackness, than silence. He half expected to look up and see a light, as if he was stuck down a well or in a tunnel, but there was nothing. Sirius stumbled forwards, arms outstretched in blind desperation, but there was nothing. Only darkness._  
  
Sirius paid dearly for his moment of distraction. Bellatrix suddenly threw herself at him, striking her wand through the air in front of him. It felt as if she had suddenly slashed him with a knife. He gasped, clutching his chest, feeling blood seeping through his robes. Shaking, he managed to fire a Stunning Spell, but she deflected it easily, her momentary victory going to her head. Sirius raised his wand, but Bellatrix was one step ahead of him. He suddenly saw a brick hurling towards him in mid air, and barely managed to duck. The brick hit the back of his head, and he fell against the wall, seeing stars and feeling as if someone had just split open his skull. A scream made him open his eyes, and he spun around sharply, immediately regretting it as pain rocketed once again through his head.  
  
Bellatrix was advancing on Ginny and Ron, who were cowering against the dustbin. Harry and Jasmine were frozen in horror, unable to think of what to do.  
  
"_AMBULUS!"_ Sirius cried, and the dustbin suddenly shot across the ground into Bellatrix, clearing the entrance to the alleyway. "_GO_!" he shouted to the others.

They ran past the dustbin, but faltered, staring back at him. Hermione had tears pouring down her face, and Ron had a hand on her shoulder. Harry and Jasmine were leaning against Ginny. Fred and George were standing there too. All of them were looking back at him, each one unwilling to leave him. He saw the grief in Hermione's eyes, the desperation in Jasmine's and the fear in Harry's, and was overcome with a desire to protect them all. They couldn't stand around; Bellatrix would be up in seconds.  
  
"JUST GO!" he shouted urgently, pleading with them to go, not to try and play hero and stay behind for him. "NOW!" he yelled, and they ran. The last thing he saw was Harry and Jasmine, their eyes full of anxiety and fear, before Bellatrix's Cruciatus Curse hit him.  
  
_Sirius cried out desperately, over and over again, until his voice was hoarse and echoed roughly in the darkness. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but silvery shapes seemed to be emerging from all around him, closing in on him like faceless ghosts. Spinning around, he could see blurred faces swarming around him. He screwed up his face, determined to clear his head, but the faces remained, shapeless spirits illuminated against the blackness. He could hear faint screams now, resonating faintly from the distance. They sounded miles away. He tried to run, to escape from these phantoms and these screams, but there was nowhere to go. He could make out faces amongst the blurs now; rough, vivid faces contorted in anger and pain. They were the faces of children's' nightmares, the faces you fear meeting on dark, cold nights, the faces that haunt the deepest bowels of hell. The screaming grew louder in his ears; tortured cries reverberating inside his head, ricocheting against the insides of his skull. There was nowhere to run, no way of escape. Sirius fell to his knees, screaming to try and block out the sounds and the faces, but it was no use._  
  
Bellatrix lifted the curse off him, but her usual malevolent smile was gone. She looked furious; her dark eyes merely slits in the whiteness of her face, her lips trembling with suppressed rage. Sirius had no doubts as to why; clearly Voldemort had given her the task of retrieving Harry for him, and she had failed, yet again.

She let out a cry of anguish, dragging her wand through the air. Sirius saw blood spatter her robes and face, but realized seconds later as the pain shot through his limbs that it was his. Large tears in his robes revealed bleeding slashes across his arms and stomach, which stung and throbbed as he stumbled in pain.  
  
"THEY'RE GONE!" she screamed wildly. "BECAUSE OF YOU!"  
  
She pointed her wand upwards, and a shower of bricks and plaster came cascading down from high up on the alley wall. They fell on Sirius' head, causing his knees to buckle beneath him; he fell to the ground, his head feeling as though it had just been crushed by an anvil. He could just make out the blurry outline of Bellatrix standing before him, swimming in and out of focus.  
  
"_Cru –_ " she began, but he managed to lunge blindly at her, grabbing her legs so she fell to the ground with a surprised cry. He stood up shakily as Bellatrix scrambled to her feet.  
  
"I don't know how you came to be here," she spat angrily, "but I swear, you'll never see that godson of yours again!"  
  
_Sirius felt his sanity slowly slipping away...he didn't know how long he'd been trapped in this black cell; it felt like days, years, centuries. The screams seemed to grow closer and louder every second, and the faces flew murderously at him, incessantly grimacing in gleeful misery, yet never seeming to touch him. They slashed at him with knives, and he felt the blades tear at his skin, but they never left a mark. He could feel himself bleeding, feel his lifeblood slowly seeping away, but never saw any crimson stains. He felt as if he was trapped inside his own head, slowly going insane, slowly dying, surrounded by drifting hallucinations and throbbing pain.  
It was when the screams began to die, and the faces began to fade, that he knew he was finally slipping away. He felt no sorrow or regret, only relief that his torture was over. The pain stabbing at him seemed to lessen slightly, and he closed his eyes, thankful that his ordeal would soon be over. For once, he saw death as a better alternative._  
  
Bellatrix stabbed her wand at Sirius, and pain rocketed through his body, throwing him backwards into the dustbin, which slid across the ground. For the first time, he wondered why no one outside the alley was coming to his aid. Surely they could hear his screams? But then again, Bellatrix had probably put some spell on him...  
  
He was startled out of his painful reverie by a brick soaring towards him from the wall. He managed to fire it back at Bellatrix. It grazed her shoulder, but she barely noticed as she sent another one at Sirius. He ducked and ran at her, firing random curses as he ducked the bricks. However, as he fired a Trip Jinx at her, a brick caught him off guard and smashed into his arm. He heard a sickening crack, and knew then that it was broken. Temporarily dazed by the blow, he stumbled. Bellatrix took advantage of this, slashing at his face with her wand. He felt the blow slice into his forehead, and tasted blood as it ran down his face.  
  
"Well well well," Bellatrix grinned. "Not looking so cocky now, are we? Got you into a bit of trouble last time as well, didn't it?"  
  
_Sirius closed his eyes peacefully, preparing to leave the hell he was stuck in. But instead of drifting away, he suddenly felt himself being pulled forwards, as if an invisible hand was clutching at his collar and dragging him. He felt his robes tighten around his neck and struggled to breathe as he sped forwards through the inky abyss, choking and spluttering, his arms flailing around.  
The darkness seemed to lessen slightly, but what came next, Sirius was totally unprepared for. There was a blinding flash of light, and he fell forwards onto cold, hard stone. For a minute he thought he was back in the darkness and silence, but as he looked up, he felt his heart stop.  
He was standing in the Department of Mysteries, in the Death Chamber, kneeling at the bottom of the stone steps, in front of the dais. A myriad of emotions surged through him; relief, confusion, anger, bewilderment, shock...  
He gasped for breath; the light around him, though it was fairly dim, was dazzling compared to the blackness he had spent unfathomable amounts of time in. As he raised his head, the sight that met his eyes brought waves of emotion flooding over him.  
Dumbledore was standing in front of the veil, his wand hanging limply by his side, his silver beard glinting in the dim light. His eyes were not twinkling brightly as usual; they were filled with a sadness Sirius had never seen there before. The room was deserted otherwise, and Sirius felt weak with confusion. But somehow Dumbledore had made him realize everything was going to be okay. It didn't matter where he had gone; he was back now, and he was going to make sure that he never went there again._  
  
Sirius felt exhaustion settle over him like a numbing blanket; he knew he had to fight, but he was bleeding and broken, and could barely move. He realized that several people had almost died today, and felt glad that he had saved them.  
  
But had he? Bellatrix knew he was alive. Voldemort would know...He remembered what Snape had said...  
  
_"He believes it would be unwise to let the Dark Lord know that you are alive, in case he attempted to use you in one of his plans; as bait for your dear godson, for example."_  
  
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Sirius had to marvel at its irony. Here he was, dying in front of one of the people he hated most, and yet he was recalling the words of another of those people, finally realizing their implications. _Maybe the only way you can get me to listen to someone I hate is to get someone I hate more to kill me. _He grimaced wryly, struggling to regain his footing. He felt fear for the first time; not of his own death, but of how many people would suffer if Voldemort realized that Sirius had been alive. He knew he couldn't let Bellatrix leave with that information.

His knees gave way, and he tumbled weakly to the ground, his wand clutched loosely in his hand. His vision began to cloud over, but he raised his wand feebly at Bellatrix, who was towering over him triumphantly.  
  
_"Obliviate..."_ he croaked hoarsely.  
  
His last view was of the deserted alley that was soon to become his graveyard before everything went black.

* * *

Well, there you have it! PLEASE review :) Thank you!


	7. Midnight

**A/N:** Chapter 7 is up. This chapter seems pretty irrelevant and I know it's not very exciting, but it's needed for the rest of the story so just bear with me. Of course I wouldn't let poor Sirius die, how could you think I would?! Please read and review, because without reviews I have no idea whether I should carry on or not! Now, for the people who reviewed last time, thank you so much!

**Sunni07:** Thanks for your review. No, Harry doesn't have a girlfriend; Bellatrix was just referring to Jasmine. Don't worry, I wouldn't ever kill off Sirius, that would just be too cruel to him.

**Cassiopeia Stargazer:** He's alive, don't worry!

**Tabytha:** Thanks for your review, hope you like this chapter.

**Katriana soulless:** It's okay, you'd better review this one as well!

**Disclaimer**: Sadly all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

Jasmine, standing apprehensively in the kitchen at 12 Grimmauld Place, felt weary and exhausted. She had never experienced the Cruciatus Curse, or anything like it, before, and her body still ached with the aftershocks. She felt drained, but more than anything she was afraid. The emotion was reflected in the faces of the people around her; Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, Tonks...

She was startled out of her thoughts by a loud crashing sound from the hallway.

"I think that's Bill and Remus!" Mrs Weasley cried, rushing to the living room, followed anxiously by the others. Upon entering the living room, Jasmine felt something catch in the back of her throat.

Bill Weasley and Lupin had just Apparated in the middle of the room (knocking over the coffee table) their shoulders hunched, sharing the weight of Sirius between them. He was clearly unconscious, and they laid him down on the sofa.

"Oh my..." Mrs Weasley gasped.

Harry rushed forward to his godfather. It was not a pretty sight.

Sirius' face was battered and bruised; several cuts and scratches ran across his forehead and cheeks, and he had a black eye. His robes were ripped and torn in several places, bloodstained and ragged. There were deep cuts along his stomach and arms, and his left arm was hanging limply at his side; it was broken.

"What happened?" Lupin asked, turning to Jasmine and the others.

"Bellatrix Lestrange!" Harry said angrily, his fists clenched.

"She cornered us in an alley," Ginny said shakily.

"Why were you in an alley?" Mrs Weasley asked sharply, momentarily distracted.

"She tricked us!" Ron said. "She said – "

"She put the Cruciatus Curse on Harry and Jasmine!" Hermione said shrilly. There was a stunned silence at these words.

"She...she _what_?!" Mrs Weasley gasped, horrified, turning to Jasmine and Harry. Jasmine wished Hermione hadn't said anything; she didn't want anyone fussing over her while Sirius was lying bloody and bruised on the sofa.

"No, it's fine!" Jasmine insisted impatiently as Mrs Weasley held her and Harry by the shoulders, seemingly inspecting them for any marks or bruises.

"What about Sirius?!" Harry asked hotly

"A broken bone, several cuts and bruises," Kingsley said from the sofa, examining Sirius closely. "Nothing a few spells won't fix."

Harry didn't seem convinced. He was still staring angrily at the sofa where Sirius lay, but Jasmine knew his anger was directed at someone far away from 12 Grimmauld Place. She felt a rush of hatred for the woman too, remembering the way she had laughed as she tortured them, her black eyes glittering, full of malice and cruelty.

"What happened after Bellatrix put the curse on you?" Lupin asked Jasmine. She paused, trying to remember. It had all happened so fast...

"Um...Sirius came, and he fought her...then he told us to go, so we did."

Lupin stared down at the ground.

"So she knows he's alive," he said gravely.

There was silence; the other Order members didn't seem to have realized this. Tonks bit her lip, looking worriedly out of the window, as if expecting Voldemort to suddenly jump through it. It was getting dark outside; the sun was setting and the trees were beginning to darken, black silhouettes against the glowing sky.

"Right," Mrs Weasley said briskly, trying to break the grave silence that hung over the room. "I'll finish dinner. Kingsley, do we need to take him to St. Mungo's?"

Kingsley shook his head.

"No, I can fix this," he said. "Probably best not to wake him, he'll come round by himself."

"Okay," Mrs Weasley said. She turned to Harry and Jasmine. "Now, dears, is there anything I can get you? Are you _sure _you're all right?"

They nodded firmly, and the Order members began to depart.

"We'll have to call an emergency meeting tomorrow," Mr Weasley was saying seriously to the others. "Dumbledore should be informed."

"He's not going to like it," Moody said grimly. "He told Sirius not to go out..."

"I expect so," Mr Weasley agreed. "But we need to be prepared for what You-Know-Who may do now that he is aware of Sirius' return."

"Why did Bellatrix just Disapparate before Bill and Remus got there?" Tonks asked.

"I suppose she thought Sirius was dead," Mr Weasley said despondently.

"We should alert the rest of the Order," Moody growled, hobbling into the kitchen.

"Right you are, Alastor," Tonks said.

* * *

"He'll be alright, won't he?" Hermione asked shakily, looking close to tears as she stared blanky down at Sirius. Kingsley had mended his arm and cleaned his wounds, but he was still bruised and scratched.

"He'd better be," said Harry dangerously. "Next time I see that _foul, evil _– "

"How did she get there?" Jasmine asked. "The entire Wizarding World is searching for her!"

"Probably Apparated there and put a spell on that old woman so she wouldn't recognize her," Ron said dully. "It's my fault. I'm the idiot who believed her."

Hermione shook her head.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron. Any of us would have done the same."

"Well, at least now I'm prepared for the Cruciatus Curse," Jasmine said, smiling humourlessly.

"You'll never be prepared for it," Harry said darkly, sitting down wearily in an armchair.

"Is it really bad?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded.

"Think of the most painful thing you can imagine," Jasmine said. "And multiply it by about a hundred."

"What did she do to him?" Ginny asked, staring sorrowfully down at Sirius. "After we left?"

There was silence; clearly no one wanted to think about it.

"And now she knows he's alive..." Hermione said.

"She was going to find out sooner or later," Jasmine pointed out. "And besides, Vol – I mean, You-Know-Who isn't going to be too pleased with her for failing him again."

"He isn't," Harry said dryly.

Ron frowned, and then comprehension dawned on him.

"Oh...is your, I mean, does it – " he mumbled, gesturing towards Harry's scar. Harry smiled grimly, and nodded.

"I hate her," he murmured angrily. "I swear, I'll get back at her if it's the last thing I do."

Ginny placed a hand on his shoulder sympathetically.

"I know," she said. "But there's nothing we can do now. Let's go for dinner."

* * *

Dinner passed uneventfully. Everyone sat quietly, worried about Sirius and what was going to come for the Order. Even Fred and George weren't chatting excitedly and cracking jokes; they sat and ate their dinner in silence. Mrs Weasley passed round dessert lacking her usual cheerfulness, and when the ice cream was finished, there was an awkward hush around the table.

"Delicious, Molly," said Lupin, in an attempt to introduce conversation back to the kitchen.

"Let's go upstairs," Ron muttered in Jasmine's ear. "Mum, can we go?"

Mrs Weasley nodded. They took their plates to the sink and then hurried up to the attic.

"Well, that was awkward," Ron said, lying back on Fred's bed.

"Mmm," George agreed.

"Do you think Dumbledore will be really angry with Sirius?" Hermione asked anxiously.

The others paused to consider.

"Probably. I mean, he completely ignored him and went wandering around Diagon Alley. And look where it got him – all bruised and stuff," Ron said.

"But if Sirius hadn't shown up, we'd probably all be dead," Ginny pointed out. Ron shuddered.

"True," he said.

"I still don't understand," Jasmine said, "why it's such a big deal that Voldemort knows Sirius is alive. I mean, I know he could use him as bait for you," – she nodded at Harry – "and stuff, but he could use anyone for that."

"Yeah, but if he knew he was alive he'd probably try and kill him again to spite me," Harry said bitterly, staring down at the ground.

Fred opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off as Harry suddenly let out a cry of pain, clutching at his forehead.

"What is it?" Jasmine asked anxiously, putting a hand on his arm.

"Voldemort," Harry said through clenched teeth, his face screwed up in pain, bent double with his hands grasping his forehead.

"Is it Bellatrix? Is he punishing her?" Hermione asked worriedly.

Harry nodded, crying out in pain again and tightening his grip on his scar, his knuckles white.

"Is there anything we can do?!" Ginny asked frantically. Harry shook his head. After another few seconds, his face relaxed and he lifted his hands off his scar.

"It's stopped," he said. "He can't have been too angry...unless he's knocked her out or something."

"Hopefully," Ron said viciously.

"Do you want some water or something?" Hermione asked Harry. He shook his head.

"It's okay," he said. "He's done for now."

Jasmine didn't know how Harry knew this, but thought better than to question him right now.

"I doubt he holds her in such high esteem at the moment," Hermione mused. "After that prophecy thing and all."

"It must have been pretty important for him to actually go into the Ministry of Magic himself," Fred said.

"Any ideas?" George inquired.

"We've talked about this," Harry said irritably. He tried to change the subject. "What are we going to do tomorrow?"

"I don't know," Jasmine sighed, leaning wearily against the wall.

"I'm tired," Fred yawned. "Oi, you – off my bed." He attempted to shove Ron off the bed, much to his chagrin.

"Fine, fine, I'm getting up!" Ron said irritably. "I'm going to go to bed."

"Me too," Jasmine said. She, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny left the attic and traipsed downstairs to their bedrooms.

The curtains in the girls' room had already been drawn, and Jasmine wearily changed into her pyjamas and climbed into bed. Hermione was sitting up in hers, reading a large book on Arithmancy. Jasmine rolled her eyes

"Night," she grunted sleepily. She fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

Jasmine awoke in the middle of the night. The room around her was pitch black and eerily silent. Groaning inwardly, she rolled over and closed her eyes in an attempt to get back to sleep. She didn't feel tired, but forced herself to try and fall asleep again. After about half an hour of listening to her own breathing (and Ginny's snoring) she gave up and climbed out of bed, intending to go down to the kitchen and get a drink.

Cursing the creaky floorboards of 12 Grimmauld Place, she tiptoed as quietly as she could out of the room. The stairs squeaked loudly under her feet and she flinched, hoping she hadn't woken anyone - especially Mrs Black. She felt relieved as she finally stepped into the hall. The unnatural silence and darkness of the house was disquieting, and she hurried to the kitchen, hating the blackness all around her. Lighting as many candles as she could in the kitchen with her wand, she poured herself a drink and hurried back to the foot of the stairs. She was about to rush back up to her room when a noise from the living room startled her. _Sirius..._

After hesitating for a moment, she slowly pushed open the door.

The living room was dimly lit by several candles that were floating in mid air near the sofa. The curtains were drawn, and Sirius was sitting up on the sofa, rubbing his forehead wearily. Before Jasmine could leave, Sirius glanced up at her. She felt slightly embarrassed, and didn't know whether to stay or go. She had forgotten during the fight with Bellatrix that her and Sirius had not been speaking to each other, and now remembered uncomfortably.

"Hi..." she said tentatively.

"Hi," Sirius croaked. He started coughing, and Jasmine took the glass of water to him. "Thanks," he said hoarsely.

His face was bruised and scratched, but looked better than when Bill and Lupin had carried him into the living room. His arm was no longer broken, and the cuts on his stomach had mostly healed.

"Are you feeling okay?" Jasmine asked.

Sirius smiled grimly.

"Never better," he said wryly, putting the empty glass down on the coffee table. "Why are you up?"

"Couldn't sleep," she said simply.

"I thought you'd be exhausted," Sirius said. Jasmine shook her head.

"It's not that, it's just if I wake up in the middle of the night and it's really dark and quiet and no one else is up, I can never get back to sleep."

Sirius frowned.

"Are you scared of the dark?" he asked.

She nodded shyly.

"Yes. Don't laugh at me."

He smiled.

There was an awkward silence. Jasmine didn't know if he wanted her to leave so he could get back to sleep or not, and sat uncomfortably on the end of the sofa. She didn't know if she should apologise for shouting at him the other night or not. Then she noticed the large rip in his robes across his shoulder, as if something had slashed right across his torso, and realized how much he must have suffered to save her and the others.

"Um..." she mumbled. "I'm sorry. You know, about..."

Sirius frowned for a second, as if unsure of what she was talking about.

"Oh," he said, comprehension dawning on him. "No, that's okay. I shouldn't have shouted at you."

She nodded, and there was another silence. Feeling as if this was her cue to leave, Jasmine stood up.

"Well...I'm going to go back to bed," she said. Sirius frowned.

"I thought you said you couldn't get back to sleep?"

"Yes, but you need to sleep," she said. Sirius shrugged.

"Not really. I'm not tired. And I have a nasty feeling that Regulus is planning on waking me up even if I did get to sleep." He gestured to the portrait over the fireplace, where a grumpy looking wizard with thick black hair and eyebrows sat glaring at him.

"That's your brother?" Jasmine asked, peering at it.

"The one and only," Sirius said grimly.

"Did you not get on?"

Sirius snorted.

"I didn't get on with any of them," he said. "But him especially."

"How come?"

Sirius smiled.

"Well, I used to hex him all the time in front of the girls at school. Him and Snape."

Jasmine frowned, bemused.

"Why would any girls be near Snape anyway?!" she asked. Sirius laughed, running a hand through his hair.

"Well they were the Slytherin girls," he said. "So not the best-looking creatures you'll ever see."

"They're not, are they?" Jasmine said. "I noticed that."

"You get the occasional good-looking one, and then the rest..." Sirius tailed off, shaking his head sadly.

"So, did Regulus have any female admirers?" Jasmine smiled. Sirius gave a derisive laugh.

"With those eyebrows? Nah," he said.

Jasmine laughed and sat down on the opposite end of the sofa, crossing her legs.

"What about you?" she asked curiously. "And what about Lupin?"

Sirius looked slightly taken aback by the question. He paused thoughtfully.

"Lupin had all the clever ones fawning over him," he said. "But he never seemed to notice. He was always too busy for a girlfriend. But there were a couple, I think."

"And James?" Jasmine asked.

"Well, he only had eyes for Lily." Sirius smiled reminiscently. "Though he did go out with the most irritating girl I think I've ever met, in an attempt to make her jealous. The only problem was, the girl was so jealous of him staring at Lily all the time that she dumped him in front of her." He laughed.

"And Peter?" Jasmine asked. A flicker of anger passed across Sirius' face.

"No one to speak of," he said gruffly.

"And you?" Jasmine inquired, smiling. Sirius shrugged.

"A few," he said. "No one special."

"I'm guessing you had more female attention than Snape, though?" she asked, grinning. Sirius snorted.

"Even _Peter_ got more attention than _Snape_," he said disgustedly. Jasmine laughed.

"What about Lucius Malfoy?" she asked. "What was he like?"

An expression of disgust crossed Sirius' face.

"Snape worshipped him," he said. "He was always trying to get us back for hexing Snape. Never worked, though. He'd go around trying to get people on his side."

"Sounds like dear Draco," Jasmine said. "Him and Harry."

"What's Harry like at school?" Sirius asked.

"From what I've heard, a lot like James," Jasmine said. "He even had the passionate crush for a while."

Sirius raised his eyebrows.

"Really? Who?"

"Cho Chang," Jasmine said. Sirius shook his head.

"Don't know her. What happened?"

"Well, he's not so...knowledgeable...about how girls' minds work," Jasmine said, fighting the urge to smile. "And she kept crying over Cedric, and they kept fighting, and eventually it just ended. But they were never seeing each other or anything, really."

"What about Hermione? Did he ever go out with her?"

Jasmine shook her head.

"No, her and Ron are made for each other."

Sirius smiled. "I can see that, actually."

"They just don't know it yet," Jasmine said, shaking her head sadly.

Sirius lay back on the sofa, his arms behind his head.

"So," he smirked. "What about you?"

Jasmine shrugged.

"There's no one at school," she said.

"What about outside school?" he asked.

"Some people..." Jasmine mumbled. "But disappearing off for most of the year doesn't exactly say long-term relationship does it?"

"Maybe not," Sirius said. Jasmine lay back on the sofa, resting her head on one of the cushions. The only sound in the room was the grandfather clock ticking slowly.

"So..." she said, trying to change the subject. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

Sirius shrugged. "Order meeting, getting yelled at by Dumbledore." He tried to shrug it off, but Jasmine could tell her was worried.

"You'll be fine," she said. "And besides, if you hadn't been there, we probably would have died." She shivered.

Sirius was silent, staring thoughtfully at the wall.

"I know what he'll do, though," he said. "He'll give me that really disappointed look..."

"Yeah," Jasmine said, "that always makes you feel really guilty."

"And like he's actually really upset," Sirius sighed. "He did that all the time when I was at Hogwarts."

"Well from the things I've heard about what you got up to, I'm not surprised!" Jasmine said. Sirius grinned.

"You haven't heard half of it," he said.

"Tell me, then," Jasmine said, intrigued. She sat up and folded her arms round her knees.

"Well," Sirius said, grinning mischievously. "In first year..."

* * *

It was four o'clock in the morning when Jasmine left the living room to go up to bed. She hadn't been able to stop laughing at Sirius' tales of mischief, and felt slightly less apprehensive of the dark, still house than she had when she had first come down; she had completely forgotten what the reason for coming down was in the first place.

Tiptoeing, she climbed the creaking staircase, shuddering at the elf heads on the wall, which looked creepier and more contorted than ever in the shadows. Her room was pitch black, and she stumbled blindly to her bed and pulled the duvet over herself. She sat listening to the faint sound of trees rustling outside and watching a beam of moonlight creep slowly across the room through the curtains. After a while, she felt sleep wash over her and lay her head on the pillow, closing her eyes and still smiling as she had been ever since she had left the living room.

* * *

Well that's it, PLEASE review or I'll cry!


	8. Falling

**A/N: **Chapter eight is up! Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I know things have been pretty boring since the fight with Bellatrix, but they'll get more interesting, I promise! Chapter nine might take a few days...I'm quite excited about writing that one and I hope you'll be patient! Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time, and PLEASE read and review, cause I'll be upset if you don't!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

Sirius had been dreading the Order meeting since the moment he had woken up wondering why he was sleeping on the sofa, and remembered the previous day's events. It wasn't that he dreaded the reactions from the Weasleys, or Tonks, or Remus...it was Dumbledore he was worried about. He tried to tell himself that actually it was lucky that he had shown up to save Harry and the others, but a part of him knew that Dumbledore would still be extremely disappointed.

And so, when the doorbell rang at 12 Grimmauld Place signalling the arrival of Dumbledore, Sirius felt as if a lead weight had just fallen into his stomach. Although Hestia's hand on his arm had calmed him slightly, he wished the time between Mrs Weasley rising to answer the door and Dumbledore entering the room had passed a lot more slowly.

Dumbledore stood in the doorway, dressed in midnight blue robes, his long silver beard nearly touching the floor. Sirius looked up and met his eye, and wished he could disappear on the spot.

"Sirius," Dumbledore said. "Could I have a word outside?"

_I expect he wants to yell at me where no one can hear, _Sirius thought savagely, reluctantly rising from his chair and following Dumbledore out into the hallway. Sirius truly respected very few wizards, but Albus Dumbledore was one of those few, and he couldn't imagine how it would feel to have Dumbledore lose trust in him.

"Sirius," Dumbledore said gravely. Sirius looked into his bright blue eyes, which were surveying him sadly.

_Jasmine and I were right...it's the disappointed look._

"I'm sorry," Sirius said quickly, before Dumbledore could make him feel worse. "But I – "

"I don't want to hear excuses," Dumbledore said firmly. "I won't pretend I'm not glad that you were around for Harry and his friends, but I would have thought you'd understand that I was trying to keep you and the Order safe."

Sirius was silent, and nodded.

"I know you may never understand my reasoning for this," Dumbledore continued, "but believe me, I only have yours, Harry's and the Order's best interests at heart."

"I just can't stand being locked up in this house!" Sirius blurted out before he could stop himself. Dumbledore shook his head.

"I understand, Sirius. But surely you must realize the implications of you leaving here?"

Sirius nodded meekly again.

"I just wish I could go out every once in a while," he said sadly. Dumbledore nodded.

"Which is why you can go out in Animagus form," he said. Sirius shook his head, frowning.

"I can't," he said. "Voldemort knows about my disguise, remember?"

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling.

"He knows you can transform into a large, black dog," he said. "But with a little Transfiguration..."

Sirius gaped – it was so simple that he couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before.

"Why didn't you suggest this last year?!" he asked, amazed.

"It hadn't occurred to me," Dumbledore said simply. Sirius was sure there was another reason, but didn't want to pry.

"So..." he said in disbelief, "I can go out as a dog?"

"I'm sure Minerva wouldn't mind performing the Transfiguration. And you may also visit Diagon Alley – as yourself, of course."

Sirius felt happier than he had all day. _He's not angry! I can go out! _He felt like a little child who'd just been given a birthday present.

"Now, about that Memory Charm," Dumbledore said in a businesslike tone. Sirius stared at him.

"How did you know about that?!"

Dumbledore smiled.

"Priori Incantatem," he said.

"You had my wand?"

"I was first to arrive at the scene at Diagon Alley, before Bill Weasley or Remus," he said. "It was my arrival, I believe, that sent Miss Lestrange away."

Sirius found himself gaping at Dumbledore again.

"And you...you looked at my wand? And then...how did Bill and Remus know to come?"

"I presume Harry and Miss Reynolds informed Molly Weasley of the situation."

It was not the first time that Sirius had found himself marvelling at Dumbledore's wisdom and knowledge.

"Did the memory charm work?" Sirius asked.

Dumbledore frowned.

"I don't know," he said. Sirius doubted he had ever heard the phrase uttered by Dumbledore. "It is my hope – as I expect it is yours – that the spell did work. However, we cannot be sure."

"So..." Sirius said uncertainly. "We just have to wait and see?"

"To put it simply, yes," Dumbledore said. There was a pause. "Well now," he said brightly. "I think we ought to return to the meeting now, don't you?"  
Sirius nodded, lost in thought, and followed the old wizard through to the kitchen, feeling a lot less apprehensive about the meeting that was to come.

Sirius sat dejectedly at the kitchen table. The meeting had passed better than expected, but he still felt extremely guilty about the fact that he had revealed himself to Bellatrix. Although Dumbledore had forgiven him, none of the Order knew that, and he had had to endure their expressions of curiosity and sympathy, as if Dumbledore had shouted at him. The only redeeming feature had been Hestia, who regarded him as pleasantly as ever and stayed to check if he was okay after his encounter with Bellatrix.

Now, however, Hestia was gone, the Order were worried, and Sirius sat gloomily, mulling over the depressing aspects of the day so far. A bottle of Firewhisky stood on the tabletop in front of him, and an empty shot glass beside it. He had only had one – he didn't want to sink back into his old drinking habits, but sometimes he felt it was necessary. Sighing, he leaned back on his chair. He wished Hestia would come back, or Dumbledore would suddenly tell him that it was all a big joke and _of course _he could leave Grimmauld Place. But no. All that he had for company was the dimly lit kitchen and the muffled sounds of footsteps on the landing above. He was about to give up and pour himself another glass of Firewhisky, when Jasmine entered the room. Her face was flushed, and she looked angry. Striding across to the other side of the table, she yanked a chair out from under it and sat down, letting out a frustrated cry and banging her fist on the table.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked, quickly putting down the shot glass.

Jasmine put her head in her hands.

"It's nothing...it's just...argh!" She bashed her head on the table in anger.

"It must be something," Sirius said. Jasmine sighed.

"It's nothing really, it's just...a stupid fight," she said, pushing her hair back off her face. She caught sight of the Firewhisky.

"Pass me a glass," she sighed wearily. Sirius reached for the cupboard and pulled out a cup. Jasmine rolled her eyes. "No, not a _cup. _A shot glass," she said, gesturing to the shelf. Sirius frowned.

"I don't think – "

"Do you want me to tell Mrs Weasley that you're a drunkard?" she interrupted, pointing to the shot glass in front of him. Sirius was momentarily speechless.

"Drunkard?!" he said indignantly. Jasmine merely raised her eyebrows and held out her hand. Realizing that arguing was hopeless, he passed her a glass from the shelf.

"Thank you," she said, pouring herself some Firewhisky.

"I really don't think that you – " Sirius tried again.

"Oh, come on," Jasmine said. "What did you drink when you were sixteen? _Water_?" She smirked as she downed the glass of Firewhisky.

Sirius didn't know what to say. She was right, of course – at sixteen, he would jump at any chance to pour any kind of alcohol down his throat, usually to impress his female admirers.

"There you go," she said, pouring herself another. When she had finished, she sighed and laid her head on the table.

"Who did you fight with?" Sirius asked, trying to change the subject.

"My boyfriend," she said wearily. "God, he irritates me sometimes."

Sirius once again was unsure of how to reply.

"Er...what happened?" he asked.

"I can't be bothered to explain," Jasmine said. She reached for the Firewhisky again.

"I think you've had enough," Sirius said firmly, taking it away from her. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine, whatever," she sighed. "God, boys are idiots."

Sirius laughed.

"Not all of them," he said. "Come on, cheer up."

Jasmine lifted her head off the table and pouted.

"Do I have to?" she asked miserably.

"Yes. Besides, we're going to play Quidditch in a minute," he said. Her face brightened.

"Ooh! Who's we?"

"It was Harry's idea, you should ask him. Go and get your broomstick."

"Okay!" she said cheerfully, getting up from the table and running out of the room, calling 'Harry!' as she went. Sirius smiled as he watched her go.

"Come _on_, Hermione!" Ron pleaded, trying to prise the book out of Hermione's hands. She clutched tighter at it, eyeing him with an irritable expression.

"No!" she said. "You go! I want to read my book!"

Jasmine and Harry exchanged meaningful looks.

"Everyone's coming, Hermione! You'll be all alone up here!" Ron coaxed.

Hermione sighed exasperatedly.

"Fine – I'll read in the garden, then," she said snappishly.

"Excellent," Ron said brightly, picking his broomstick up off the bed. Harry followed him downstairs, grasping his Firebolt, and Hermione trailed behind, clutching her book. When Jasmine entered the garden, she was stunned. No longer was it a small, dingy patch of dense weeds with a single Venomous Tentacula plant in the centre that had grown to an enormous height – it was now a large grassy field, surrounded by trees and bushes, a small pond in the corner near a cobweb-coated shed. There was a large vegetable patch near the back door, brimming with carrots, cabbages, peas and lettuces.

"Mum's 'finishing touch'," Ron said, rolling his eyes and gesturing towards the vegetable patch. Jasmine smiled.

Lupin, Sirius, Tonks, Bill and Mrs Weasley were sitting in the garden in the sun. Jasmine and the others strode towards them.

"Bill, are you playing?" Ron asked. Bill nodded, gesturing towards the old Cleansweep propped against his chair.

"I'm guessing you're not, Hermione?" Tonks chuckled, looking over at Hermione who was already curled up on the grass, book in hand. "Jasmine, why don't you have a broomstick?"

"Nowhere to practise at home," she said.

"But what are you going to ride?" Sirius asked, puzzled. Jasmine shrugged.

"I'm not, I suppose."

"You can ride on mine," he said, holding out his Comet Two-Sixty.

"Okay," Jasmine agreed.

"I've got a Quaffle," Ginny said brightly, strolling across the lawn with a large football under one arm and her broomstick under the other. "It's Dean's," she explained, seeing Harry's puzzled look.

"Oh," he said. "Well, I've got a Snitch." He pulled a black box from his pocket.

"It's a good job you don't have any Bludgers," Mrs Weasley laughed. "Imagine them loose round Muggle London."

Jasmine, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Bill, Tonks, Lupin and Sirius walked to the middle of the lawn.

Jasmine felt slightly nervous – she hadn't ridden a broomstick for months, and didn't want to make a fool of herself around people who were better than her. As if he could read her mind, Sirius spoke.

"Now you'd better not laugh at me, you Quidditch genius," he elbowed Harry, "just because I haven't ridden one of these for years."

"You'll still be better than me," Ron said dully. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"You got us the _cup_, Ron."

Ron cheered slightly at her words, and mounted his broomstick.

Sirius climbed astride the Comet Two-Sixty.

"Come on, then," he said to Jasmine. She hadn't realized he had meant for both of them to ride the broom, and wondered if it would support their weight.

"Won't we be too heavy?" she asked nervously.

Lupin laughed.

"I wouldn't think so," he said. "He used to take girls on midnight rides on this thing all the time when we were at Hogwarts."

Sirius grinned despite himself. Jasmine climbed onto the broomstick behind Sirius, still feeling slightly apprehensive. Lupin wandered back to where Hermione was sitting, intent on finishing his book too.

"Shall I let the Snitch out?" Harry asked.

"Go for it," Ron said.

"Wait," Ginny said. "What if it flies away?"

"Summoning Charm," Bill said dismissively. "Come on Harry, open the box."

Harry did so. The tiny golden Snitch hovered excitedly in mid air for a second, then sped off towards the trees, a tiny golden blur against the sky.

"Let's go!" Ron said enthusiastically, soaring into the air.

"Ready?" Sirius asked Jasmine. _No, no I'm not ready! _she thought.

"Erm...yeah," she said. Without warning, the broomstick lurched forward and rose into the air. As soon as she felt the rushing wind in her hair, Jasmine relaxed. She would have felt a lot more comfortable if she had control of the broom, though.

"Hold onto the broom," Sirius instructed. Jasmine frowned; how was she supposed to hold onto the broom? Sirius was right in front of her!

"There's no room!" she exclaimed.

"Oh," Sirius said, turning the broom sharply to fly over the trees. "Well, hold onto me then."

Jasmine hesitantly put a hand on his waist.

"Look at Harry showing off," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. Jasmine looked up and saw Harry doing loop-the-loops in the middle of the air. Ron had evidently tried and been fairly unsuccessful; he was scrambling onto his broom as if he had just been left hanging by one arm. Bill and Ginny were throwing the football to each other as they circled higher and higher over the garden.

"Let's get the Quaffle off them," Jasmine grinned.

"Just what I was going to say," Sirius said, aiming the broom upwards. They flew straight up between Bill and Ginny, just as the football flew past them. Jasmine grabbed it and Sirius turned the broom into a dive.

"Hey!" Ginny cried indignantly, speeding up and nearly crashing into them as she tried to intercept the football. Grinning, Jasmine threw it back to her. As she looked over the treetops, she saw a small golden blur.

"Ooh, it's the Snitch," she said loudly in Sirius' ear.

"Excellent," he said. "Hold tight."

They dove sharply into the treetops, the wind rushing past them.

"It'll blatantly fly away right before you catch it," Jasmine said.

"It will not!" Sirius said indignantly. "I'm an _excellent _Seeker."

Jasmine raised her eyebrows as Sirius raised his hand to catch the Snitch. Sure enough, the Snitch hovered for a second and then shot off at lightning speed. Jasmine laughed triumphantly.

"Ha!" she said.

"Oh! So you're sharing my broom and _mocking _me!" Sirius said.

"Yes. Yes I am."

"_Right._" Jasmine stopped laughing when she realized what Sirius was about to do. "Oh God...no you don't..."

It was too late. They were soaring up into the clouds. "No! Sirius, I'm sorry!"

He let out a bark of laughter and turned the broom in a rapid loop-the-loop, causing Jasmine to scream in terror and clutch tightly at him. She hated heights, especially when she was hanging upside down with only a piece of wood for support. "I'm sorry, Sirius!" she pleaded as he righted the broom again. He ignored her, and looped up into the air again.

"Stop it!" Jasmine shrieked, but she was laughing despite herself. The broom suddenly turned in a sharp dive. She thought they were heading back to the ground, but then they turned upside down and shot through the air. Jasmine screamed again, holding on for dear life as Sirius chortled.

"Jasmine!" Ginny called. Jasmine turned to see the football speeding towards her. She grabbed it, and threw it to Bill, who was soaring up into the air, facing her.

"Where's the Snitch?" Harry called, swerving towards them.

"We had it," Jasmine smirked. "But Sirius couldn't catch it."

Sirius jerked the broom upwards. "Okay, okay I'm sorry!" Jasmine begged, before he could turn them upside down again. She suddenly realized the football was currently speeding through the air towards her, and grabbed it.

"Keep it away from Bill and Ginny!" Harry yelled. "They're on the other team!"

"Move nearer Ron!" Jasmine instructed Sirius impatiently. She threw the ball to Ron, and he caught it, much to her astonishment. Ginny flew swiftly between them, blocking Ron.

"Go left!" Jasmine shouted at Sirius.

"Yes, I know!" he said irritably. Ron threw the ball to her, and she lunged for it. She missed by several inches, and it shot towards the ground.

"Well done," Sirius smirked.

"Shut up." She poked him in the back as he turned the broom downwards, but Ginny had already grasped the ball and was about to throw it to Bill.

"Get it from Ginny!" Jasmine cried, but Sirius had somehow moved in the opposite direction.

"Jasmine!" Harry called, and she tried to grab the ball but failed again.

"You're hopeless!" Sirius remarked.

"You're not much better at steering!" Jasmine retorted. "Look, I'll steer and you catch. Move." She prodded him again.

"Jasmine, we're fifty feet up in the air," he said.

"Yes, and I'm tempted to push you and let you fall fifty feet if you don't stop being clever," she said. "Go down to the ground."

He obeyed her reluctantly, angling the broom downwards and pulling to a stop a foot above the ground. Jasmine jumped off the broom and switched places with him, feeling a lot happier now that she could control it. They soared through the air behind Ginny, who was aiming the ball at Bill, and Sirius grabbed it off her.

"Hey!" she cried indignantly, spinning around. Sirius chuckled and threw the ball at Ron, who nearly fell of his broom in an attempt to catch it. Luckily, Harry had anticipated this and flew underneath him, catching the ball and hurling it upwards to Sirius, who caught it deftly. Bill was racing towards them, and Jasmine swerved to the right so Sirius could throw the ball at Ron.

"I've got the Snitch!" Harry cried, holding up his arm.

"Good one!" Bill shouted. "Now let it go again!" He flung the football into the air at Ginny. Jasmine quickly turned the broom and soared in front of her, while Sirius seized the ball. She cheered.

"See? So much better," she said to Sirius.

"True," Sirius replied.

"We're an unstoppable team. Now throw it to Harry."

Ah hour later, Jasmine was sitting in the garden with the others. Exhausted after their game, they had collapsed on the lawn and begged Mrs Weasley to bring them some drinks.

"Is there a meeting tomorrow, Molly?" Lupin asked, looking up briefly from his book. Mrs Weasley shook her head as she passed glasses around.

"Not tomorrow, Remus. I think we all need a rest."

"I know I do," Ron said, taking his drink and lying back on the grass. Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"From what?" she asked without looking up from her book. "You never do anything."

"Well I've been playing Quidditch, which is doing more than reading a book!" he replied. Jasmine saw Sirius roll his eyes. He was staring thoughtfully at the house. She watched him, wondering what he was thinking about. Part of her wanted to have another game of Quidditch, but the other part was too tired. It wouldn't be much fun without Sirius anyway.

"Where are Fred and George?" Harry asked, staring up at the sky with his arms behind his head.

"Still in the attic, as usual," Ginny said, helping herself to more lemonade.

"I don't know what they're up to up there," Mrs Weasley said exasperatedly, "but it had better not be anything illegal."

Ron hastily assured her that it wasn't anything illegal, though he didn't seem too convinced himself.

There was silence again as everyone lay on the grass, too tired (or interested in their books) to really talk much. Jasmine turned her attention again to Sirius, who was picking bits of grass absent-mindedly, his face partly obscured by his dark hair, which was windswept and tousled. Jasmine realized suddenly that in the few years she'd known him, she had never noticed that his eyes were grey.

It was after eleven at night. Since playing Quidditch in the garden, everyone's spirits seemed to have lifted, and Mrs Weasley had taken advantage of the good weather and cooked a barbecue on the lawn. They had ended up eating and talking until it had become too dark to see anything, and Mrs Weasley, realizing the time, had sent Jasmine, Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron to bed. The girls' room was lit by several candles flickering around the walls, and noises from downstairs were sounding through the floor.

"Hermione," Jasmine said uncertainly, sitting up in her bed and frowning.

"Mmm?" Hermione replied, without taking her eyes off her book.

"Have you ever found someone attractive, when you shouldn't?"

There was a pause.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, say if they're...older, or...you know, out of your league?"

Hermione frowned, considering.

"Well I suppose it's natural to like people who are out of your league," she said.

"Yes, but," Jasmine pressed, "what if you didn't before, and then you suddenly do?"

"Then maybe you've just noticed them in a different way," Hermione said. Jasmine bit her lip. The conversation was not really helping her at all.

"So have you ever been attracted to someone who you shouldn't be attracted to?" she asked, rephrasing her original question.

"Erm...maybe, I can't really think..." Hermione replied. Then she looked up, frowning curiously at Jasmine. "Why? Are you?"

Jasmine could feel herself blushing.

"Well, I don't really know, I just – "

"Oh, now I understand! Go on, who do you like, then?" Hermione asked, smiling. Jasmine shook her head.

"No, it's just I was wondering if – if it's...normal," she stammered. _Was I really considering telling Hermione about Sirius? She'd think I was a freak! _

"Hmm..." Hermione smiled, apparently unconvinced. "Well, if you don't want to tell me, that's okay."

"No, it's just – "

"Honestly, Jaz, it's fine," she said.

"No, it's not that," Jasmine said quickly. "I don't even know if I do, it's just been different...all of a sudden," she finished lamely. _Well done, Jaz. Really articulate. _

"Like you're suddenly noticing them?" Ginny said. Jasmine hadn't even been aware that she was awake.

"Yeah," she said.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that," she said. "Go for it."

Jasmine snorted.

"No way," she said.

"Why not?!"

"Lots of reasons. The main one being no way."

"You'll never know until you try..." Ginny cajoled. Jasmine shook her head.

"Definitely not. But thanks," she said, settling down in her bed. "It's probably just a phase, anyway. I'll be over it by tomorrow."


	9. Murder

**A/N: **Chapter nine is here! I've been looking forward to writing this one for a long time, and I hope it's as good as I want it to be! I'm also really looking forward to writing chapter 10 as well, so I'll probably update in a few days. Please read and review or I'll have no idea whether to carry on or not...hehe...also, thanks to my wonderful reviewers who reviewed last time...but you can never have too many reviews! Also, I would appreciate some constructive criticism cause it's always helpful. Anyway, RR, and I hope you like it!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

The girls were woken in the early hours of the morning by several people bustling frantically about the house. Bemused and exhausted, Jasmine sat up wearily in bed. The sun was only beginning to rise outside.

"What _is_ that?" she groaned, rubbing her eyes. Hermione was also looking around curiously. She glanced at her alarm clock.

"It's only four thirty," she said, puzzled. "Why is everyone up?"

"It's _Saturday_!" Jasmine moaned plaintively.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Harry and Ron entered the room. Harry's glasses were askew and his hair was sticking up in all directions, but he looked very much awake.

"Have you heard?" Ron said breathlessly.

"Heard what?"

"Something's happened!" Harry said. "With the Order!"

Jasmine frowned. "Why do you think that?"

"Because everyone in it is downstairs!" Ron said fervently. "We think Mum's talking in the fireplace to someone now!"

"They sound pretty worried," Harry said apprehensively.

"Shall we get the Ext – "

But Ginny was cut off as Fred and George Apparated into the middle of the room, each wearing identical blue pinstriped pyjamas. Sure enough, they were clutching several Extendable Ears. Without preamble, they handed them round and beckoned the others out of the room. Hermione accepted hers somewhat reluctantly, and they left the bedroom.

"Do you think it's serious?" Jasmine whispered to Ginny as they stepped lightly across the landing, trying to avoid the creaking floorboards.

"It must be if they're up at four!" she replied, somewhat excitedly. Tiptoeing onto the stairs, they dangled the Extendable Ears as close to the kitchen door as possible.

"We can't stand outside," Fred explained. "In case someone comes out."

He was right – almost as soon as he'd spoken, Mrs Weasley came rushing out of the door and into the living room. They frantically pulled the Ears back up before she could see them. Jasmine was thinking they would have to listen in on the conversation in the living room, but there was no need; Mrs Weasley had left the door open. They could see her talking to someone in the fireplace, but she was obscuring their face.

"Right. I've informed Minerva, Emmeline, Daedelus, Kingsley and Hagrid," she said breathlessly.

"Did you ask them to come to Headquarters?" came the voice from the fire.

Jasmine gaped – it was Dumbledore.

"What's he doing here?!" Ron asked in amazement.

"How would we know?!" Hermione replied irritably.

"Move over!" Harry said, elbowing Ron.

"Yes, they should be here any moment," Mrs Weasley said. Her voice became anxious and fearful. "Did he...are they..."

"They are dead," Dumbledore asserted sorrowfully. A hush fell over the squabbling crowd on the stairs. Hermione gasped. It was Fred who asked the obvious question.

"Who?" he said anxiously, leaning closer to the door, his eyes wide.

"And...Bellatrix?" Mrs Weasley asked, her voice high and tense.

"Disapparated," Dumbledore said.

"But..._why, _Albus?" Mrs Weasley asked tearfully.

"I wish I could say," Dumbledore said, shaking his head sadly.

There was silence.

"And are the...the Memory..."

"The Memory Modification Squad have seen to the neighbouring Muggles," Dumbledore said. "We have issued a statement to the Muggle police force that there was an electrical fault in the house."

"Right..." Mrs Weasley said vaguely.

"I will arrive at Headquarters shortly," Dumbledore said. "In the mean time, Molly, please don't let yourself get worked up. This was a tragic accident. There was nothing we could have done."

* * *

The arrival of _The Daily Prophet_ that morning confirmed Jasmine's worst suspicions. She felt her stomach drop as she read the headline. Somehow seeing it in black and white print made it seem so much more real.

**DARK LORD MURDERS MUGGLES**

_At four o'clock this morning, the Dark Mark (the legendary symbol of You-Know-Who, previously seen hovering above the grounds at the Quidditch World Cup) was cast into the sky above a Muggle neighbourhood by a supporter of You-Know-Who._

_This gruesome symbol, however, was nothing compared to the horrific scene that a team of Ministry Aurors were to find below it. The Muggle residents of 17 Greenwood Road were found lying dead in their living room, apparently having been tortured and then murdered by one of You-Know-Who's Death Eaters._

_The family of five appeared to have been killed by the Unforgivable Avada Kedavra curse, which leaves no visible marking on the body, save for a look of terror on the victim's face. Neighbours of the family reported hearing screams from the house, which lead the Aurors to believe that the Muggles had been tortured._

_The Death Eater responsible is believed to be Bellatrix Lestrange, who, only a few weeks ago, was seen inside the Ministry of Magic with none other than You-Know-Who himself. A source from one of the neighbouring houses told of a 'tall, dark haired woman in a long black cloak' walking through the street minutes before the attack took place. _

_We can only guess You-Know-Who's motive for these murders. The event has been said to rival the 1986 attack on the Chester family of South London, in which four Muggles were found dead, having committed suicide whilst under the influence of the Imperius Curse. _

_"This is a disgusting, atrocious, completely unprovoked attack," said Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, earlier this morning. "We are working as hard as possible to catch the people responsible and bring them to justice."_

_The notorious Auror Alastor Moody was present at the scene of the attack. He describes the murders as 'horrific', and has said that "there is no excuse for killing innocent Muggles."_

_A team of Obliviators were despatched earlier to the scene, and the memories of the neighbouring Muggles involved have been Modified. A statement has been issued to the police (the Muggle version of Aurors)._

_If you have any information regarding this attack, please contact The Daily Prophet or the Ministry of Magic. _

Jasmine felt numb as she handed the newspaper blankly to Ron, who read the headline and gasped.

"Read it out," Fred requested.

Ron proceeded to read the article out loud. When he had finished, there was silence. They all stood, staring at the newspaper, transfixed. Hermione let out a sob.

"Oh, it's horrible," she said tearfully. "They had done nothing wrong!"

"I can't believe this," Fred said, shaking his head.

"Muggles..." George whispered, shocked.

"Why?" Ginny asked. "Why would Voldemort want to kill Muggles?"

"Fear," Harry said simply.

"But...they're _Muggles!_" Ron said in disbelief. "It's such a waste!"

"I know," Harry said impassively. The seven of them stood in silence again, stunned and uncomprehending. It was Ginny who broke the stillness.

"Why did You-Know-Who send Bellatrix?"

"Probably to make her prove that she wasn't useless," Harry said dully.

"If he even _did _send her himself," Hermione said enigmatically. Ron frowned.

"How do you mean?"

Hermione looked hesitant.

"Well," she said uncertainly, "what if Bellatrix just decided to do it...for fun? Or she wanted to prove herself to You-Know-Who and just went off and did it?"

"That makes sense," George said, nodding. "Why would You-Know-Who bother with Muggle killings when he's got so much else to deal with?"

"Who knows?" Jasmine said rhetorically.

"That _foul _woman," Hermione said angrily, her eyes brimming with tears.

"She's sick," Harry said emphatically. "She _enjoys _other people's misery." He looked uncertain for a second, and then spoke again. "She – she told me that the only way you can put the Cruciatus Curse on someone is if you want to enjoy them being in pain."

"Makes sense," Ron said dully. "She uses it all the time."

Jasmine stared down at the newspaper article in Ron's hands. She thought of Bellatrix, towering above her in the alley, pointing her wand and cackling evilly. She remembered her triumphant gaze as she watched Sirius fall backwards into the veil, and the way her eyes had shone with that same sense of victory as she tortured and beat him in the alleyway. She thought of the innocent Muggles, terrified for their own lives and each other's, screaming in confusion and pain as they were tortured and killed at the hands of the strange woman with the wand. She thought of their relatives, bereaved of their loved ones, never knowing the real reason they had died. She felt a rush of hatred and fury; a sudden desire to kill Bellatrix Lestrange...to beat her and stab her and force her to experience the fathomless pain that she had caused so many innocent people. Jasmine felt angry tears fall from her eyes, but brushed them away quickly before anyone could see.

* * *

Several hours later, the mood had lifted slightly amongst Jasmine and the others. Fred had reminded them of Dumbledore's words, and they played continuously in Jasmine's head. _"In the mean time, Molly, please don't let yourself get worked up. This was a tragic accident. There was nothing we could have done."_

She knew it would be pointless to feel angry and bitter. There was nothing she could do about Bellatrix. She would get her come-uppance sooner or later, but for now Jasmine would just have to let the Order and the Aurors get on with their work. She tried to block the memories of the article and the images of Bellatrix from her mind. Fred and George had helped by handing Cheering Chews round to everyone in the attic before they went off with Ginny to listen in on the emergency Order Meeting. The others hadn't felt like going, and sat dejectedly in the attic.

"God, this is depressing," Ron sighed.

"I think I need another Cheering Chew," Harry agreed, pullinga pink one from its lurid wrapper.

"I think Fred and George are going to have start mass producing those," Jasmine said. "I have a feeling we're going to need quite a few before long."

"Just as long as they don't mass produce those naked scarf things," Hermione said darkly. Ron snorted.

"Just because you put it on and showed half the common room your knickers," he said, grinning. Hermione looked outraged.

"You told me you didn't see anything!" she said. Ron immediately stopped laughing.

"I didn't," he said, completely unconvincingly, blushing scarlet.

The door opened, and Fred, George and Ginny came in.

"Well?" Ron asked, looking grateful for the distraction. "What happened?"

Ginny bit her lip.

"Erm...well...Sirius...he..." She hesitated.

"He got a bit upset," Fred said. Hermione frowned.

"Why?"

"He seems to think it's his fault."

"What?!" Jasmine exclaimed. "Why?!"

George shrugged.

"No idea. He said that he should have killed her when he had the chance, but he was too busy being _noble. _Dumbledore tried to tell him it wasn't his fault..."

"But he walked out," Fred said.

"It was horrible," Ginny said sadly. "He looked as if he was about to cry."

Jasmine felt a pang of sadness and empathy. She remembered how she had felt earlier when looking at the newspaper article, and how Sirius had told her he had always hated his family's prejudice against Muggles. She thought of how happy he had been yesterday in the garden, and felt a sudden need to talk to him, to tell him that it wasn't his fault and he'd be okay.

"I'm going to the bathroom," she said, getting up and leaving the attic.

She half-ran down the three flights of stairs and stopped in the hall. She guessed Sirius would be in the living room. Feeling a deep sense of sympathy for him, she realised that she didn't want to see him upset. Ever. She didn't know why this was or when it had started, but at that moment, more than anything, she wanted to make sure Sirius was okay. Tentatively, feeling slightly nervous, she pushed open the living room door.

Sirius was sitting on the sofa, his head in his hands, his dark hair falling unkempt around his face. Jasmine felt her stomach clench, and an unpleasant wave of shock and disappointment passed over her.

Hestia Jones was sitting besides Sirius, her arm round him, her pale face full of concern as she peered at him, whispering something in his ear. She was clutching him tightly as he sat miserably on the sofa. Jasmine stared at her, feeling as if someone had just shattered all her hopes of being able to talk to Sirius and maybe make him feel better. She felt no anger, just sorrow and disappointment as she turned away sadly, closing the living room door behind her.

* * *

Jasmine walked up to her bedroom, intending to sleep for a while. She found Harry sitting on her bed, staring out of the window. She frowned.

"What are you doing in here?"

Harry turned round, shrugging.

"Needed some time to think," he said. Jasmine sat down on the bed next to him.

"About Bellatrix?" she asked. He nodded.

"Bellatrix...Sirius...Voldemort..." He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it even messier than before.

"Are you okay?"

Harry was silent for a moment.

"I think so," he said. "It's just...I always thought the Order were one step ahead. Like they'd always be around to save the day, or whatever."

Jasmine nodded. "And now you're realizing that they're not?"

"Yeah. I mean, to be realistic, we have no idea what Voldemort's planning. He could know where Headquarters is and be planning to attack it _tomorrow, _for all we know."

Jasmine noticed he looked tired and anxious. She imagined how it must feel to have come face to face with Voldemort so many times that you wondered when your luck was going to run out.

"And that..._woman_...is out there, probably laughing her head off...and I..." Harry choked and stopped, looking for a moment as if he might start crying. Jasmine felt a wave of sympathy for him. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on," she said. "It's not so bad. At least we _have _the Order. And you never know, they might know what he's planning. He might not even be planning anything."

Harry shrugged, unconvinced.

"No, really. I mean, last time he was, they had a very good idea, which turned out to be right. And," – Jasmine thought of something else – "we've got _Dumbledore _on our side." It had worked – Harry's face seemed to brighten.

"Yeah, you're right," he said.

"Sooner or later," Jasmine said, forcing herself to believe that her own words were true, "Bellatrix is going to get what she deserves."

"Hopefully from me," Harry said savagely. "Or Neville..."

He stopped again at the mention of Neville. Jasmine guessed he could understand better how Neville must feel about his parents, having nearly been robbed of Sirius by Bellatrix.

"Come on," Jasmine said, giving him a quick hug. "Let's go and get some more Cheering Chews. I think you might need a whole box, but I'm sure Fred and George have plenty."

Harry obliged, following her out of the room.

"And you'd better not be miserable tonight," Jasmine said. "I'll make sure Hermione keeps an eye on you." She smiled.

"Why, where are you going?" Harry asked bemusedly.

"Out," Jasmine said. "Oh, God..."

She stood at the bottom of the stairs to the attic.

"Fred!" she called loudly. "I found the Dungbomb!"

Fred's head appeared at the top of the staircase.

"Where?!" he asked eagerly. They had lost one of the invisible Dungbombs earlier that morning, and had searched apprehensively for it, fearing that Mrs Weasley might come across it.

"Crookshanks has it," Jasmine sighed, staring in amusement at the fluffy ginger cat, who was scrabbling around on the floor, pawing at something they couldn't see.

* * *

Sirius sat quietly through dinner. Once again, he had made a scene at an Order meeting. Granted, he hadn't yelled and banged his fist this time, but he had walked out all the same. He was indescribably grateful to Hestia, who had comforted him and told him she understood. He had been calmed by the feeling of her arms around him, and the way she had looked into his eyes with her own. It had been so long since he had seen a woman look at him that way.

He knew he shouldn't blame himself for the attack on the Muggles, but the anger that had flared inside him when he had heard news of the murders had blinded him to all reason. It had been Dumbledore who had made him see sense.

"_Sirius, you must not blame yourself."_

"_How can I not?!" Sirius replied heatedly. "I could have killed her! But I just sat back and fired a bloody _Memory Charm _at her!"_

"_Sirius," Dumbledore said calmly. "Think about it. If you had killed Bellatrix, Voldemort would be wondering what had happened to her. He would probably have sought revenge on those he deemed responsible – namely Harry or the Order."_

_Sirius was silent. This had not occurred to him before. _

"_While the death of those Muggles is extremely regrettable," Dumbledore continued solemnly, "you must not let it affect you like this. You did an honourable thing in fighting Bellatrix, and you lived to tell the tale."_

"_But I still could have done _something_," Sirius said, frustrated._

"_Not many people in your state would have had the presence of mind to do what you did by using that Memory Charm," Dumbledore said, smiling slightly. "You mustn't keep regretting your actions this way, and wonder how you could have changed the present. What will happen will happen, and we will all have to rise up and face it when it does."_

Sirius sighed as he finished his dinner. He knew Dumbledore was right. He thought of the danger he could have put Harry and his friends in, and smiled as he watched them chatting animatedly at the other end of the table, Ron and Hermione arguing about something or other. He turned to Hestia, who was sitting next to him, and stole another quick glance at her beautiful face. He wondered if she knew how much he looked forward to her visits, or how often he thought about her. _She'd probably run away if she did, _he thought dryly. He knew she was going to leave after dinner, and wished she could just stay with him and talk to him. She was one of the most knowledgeable, interesting people he'd ever met; she could perform practically any spell flawlessly, and knew almost everything there was to know about magical history.

"Sirius?" Mrs Weasley's voice jerked him sharply out of his thoughts. She was extending a hand to take his empty plate.

"Wh – oh, sorry, Molly." He handed it over to her, and lapsed once again into thoughts of Hestia.

* * *

Sirius, Lupin and Tonks sat thoughtfully around the fire that night, each too tired to talk much. Lupin was absorbed in his book, and Tonks was swaying absent-mindedly to the Weird Sisters song that was on the radio. Sirius was lying back on the sofa, his eyes half-closed.

"You feeling better, Sirius?" Tonks asked him. He smiled and nodded.

"Thanks to some good old-fashioned TLC from Hestia Jones." Lupin smirked over the top of his book. Sirius felt himself blushing.

"Oooh!" Tonks squeaked excitedly, leaning forwards, intrigued. "Is she your girlfriend, now?"

Sirius shook his head quickly. _I wish..._

"No!" he said. "Hestia is just...a friend."

"Sure." Tonks grinned, unconvinced.

Sirius shrugged, too tired to protest.

"Think what you like," he said mysteriously.

"I will," Tonks said, still smiling mischievously. Yawning, she got up wearily from the sofa and switched off the radio. "Well, I'm off to bed," she said, accidentally knocking a cushion off the sofa. "Night."

"Goodnight, Tonks," Lupin said genially.

Sirius waved vaguely at her and closed his eyes again.

"I'm going to go as well," Lupin said, closing his book. "Are you staying down here for a while?"

Sirius grunted affirmatively.

"Remember to put the candles out in the kitchen. Someone left them burning the other night. Molly nearly had a fit."

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. _Probably Jasmine, _he thought. _Seeing as she hates the dark. _He waved goodnight to Lupin and stared absently at the ceiling for a while.

* * *

He didn't know how long he lay on the sofa, but at some point he must have fallen asleep, because he awoke several hours later to the sound of muffled knocking on the front door. Disorientated, he sat up groggily, blood rushing to his head. Wondering who could be knocking on the door at this hour (it was about half past one in the morning), he walked out into the hallway. Praying that there was not another emergency, he pulled open the front door, completely unprepared for the sight that met his eyes.

Jasmine was standing in the doorway, holding onto the wall for support. She was dressed in a pink vest, a tiny black skirt which barely covered her, and boots. Her face was flushed and she was shivering slightly. Sirius was astounded – he didn't even realize she had gone out, let alone why she was coming back at two a.m, dressed like a whore. Taken aback, he moved aside to let her in. She stumbled into the hallway, tripping over her own feet and seizing the wall in an attempt to stop herself from falling over.

_Oh God..._Sirius thought, and his suspicions were confirmed as suddenly, Jasmine lunged wildly for the front door and vomited all over the doorstep. Sirius was shocked – she was clearly drunk out of her mind. Feeling completely at a loss, he put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to steady her. She was trembling, her eyes out of focus as she stared blearily at him. He could smell the alcohol in her breath even though her face was over a foot away from his.

_What the hell has she been doing?! _He was shocked to see her in this state – he hadn't realized she was capable of doing something like this, and had no idea how to deal with it. He helped her inside, closing the door after her. She staggered through the hall, clinging onto him for support. Realizing he wouldn't be able to get her up the stairs without waking the whole house, he shepherded her into the living room.

She climbed onto the sofa without saying a word. He wondered if she even knew where she was. Sirius stared anxiously around the room, wondering if he should do something, but then saw that Jasmine had fallen asleep. He stared at her in amazement, wondering where on earth she had been, and what she had been drinking. She lay sprawled over the sofa, her legs hanging over the end, one arm draped across her stomach. Sirius felt extremely uneasy about leaving her, but didn't see what else he could do. He stared helplessly for a while, then removed his wand from his pocket and placed it in her hand. _In case she wakes up and needs something, _he thought. He didn't think for one moment that she'd have her wand with her – he highly doubted that the place where she'd been was part of the Wizarding World.

Feeling a strange pang of sympathy for her, he pulled a blanket from the other sofa and covered Jasmine with it. With one last look at the tired, drunken girl asleep on the sofa, he retired to his room, still feeling very ill at ease.

* * *

Please review!


	10. Kisses

**A/N: **Yaay! This was my favourite chapter to write so far, so I hope you like it. Please read and review cause I need to know what you like/don't like, etc. about the story. Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time, I'm eternally grateful. I promise you, everything will be explained eventually, including Jasmine's behaviour, so please keep reading. And REVIEW!! (not to be commanding or anything...!)

**Disclaimer: **Sadly all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

Jasmine was awoken the next day by light shining faintly through the living room curtains. Although dim, it hurt her head to look at it. She rubbed her eyes, feeling her make up wipe off on her hands; sure enough, there were dark smudges there when she lowered them. Her hair was dry and dishevelled, sticking up at odd angles. Her lips were parched, smudged red from her lipstick. As she tried to sit up, a dull pain exploded in her head, and she closed her eyes, seeing stars. It was as if someone had hit her with an anvil. She tried to remember the night before, but it was a blur of sex, alcohol and darkness. Looking down, she saw that she was still dressed in her heels, tiny skirt and vest. Her skirt had ridden up to round her waist. She realized she had no idea how she had gotten home, or why she was lying on the sofa. The room swam into focus, and she saw Hermione, Ron and Harry kneeling by her.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked anxiously. Jasmine blinked, trying to stop the room from looking blurry.

"Yeah," she said hoarsely. Her mouth was dry and scratchy.

Suddenly, she felt her stomach jolt unpleasantly, and her throat tighten. She knew the feeling well, but it didn't make it any less horrible or sudden. She gagged, doubling over. Hermione grabbed the fruit bowl off the coffee table, pulled out a mouldy peach and thrust the bowl at Jasmine, just as she was violently sick into it. She could feel sweat running down her face and her eyes watering as the contents of her stomach came out through her mouth. Ron recoiled in disgust, and Hermione gave him a reproving glare. Jasmine lifted her head up, her face hot and sticky.

"_Evanesco_," Harry said, pointing his wand at the bowl.

Her head was throbbing painfully, and her mouth tasted disgusting. She wiped her forehead and pushed her sticky hair out of her eyes.

"What happened?" Hermione asked gently, passing Jasmine a glass of water. She sipped it and wished something would make the pain in her head go away. She had no intention of telling Hermione where she'd been.

"Hangover," she said simply. Harry and Ron exchanged looks.

"Where we you last night?" Hermione asked, frowning concernedly.

"Just out," Jasmine said noncommittally.

"We didn't hear you come in," Harry said. "How did you get back?"

Jasmine laughed dryly.

"I don't even know," she said, straightening her skirt.

"Jasmine – " Hermione began.

"Don't start questioning me," Jasmine said, finishing the glass of water. She ran her fingers through her hair and wiped her forehead again. Realizing she hadn't eaten for quite a long time, she got up off the sofa, intending to go and have breakfast. She had forgotten quite how bad hangovers were, especially when they resulted after drinking on an empty stomach, and stumbled back onto the sofa, her head pounding. She moaned, rubbing her forehead.

"Do you want anything?" Hermione asked, seemingly having decided that Jasmine wasn't planning on telling her anything. She shook her head and stood up slowly, leaving the living room.

Jasmine walked awkwardly into the kitchen, without bothering to change or remove her boots. Pushing the door open, she saw everyone gathered around the table. They all looked up at her.

"Jasmine, dear," Mrs Weasley exclaimed, rushing over to her. "Are you all right? Hermione said..."

Jasmine nodded.

"You must be hungry," Mrs Weasley said, ushering her into a chair next to Tonks. "Here." She passed her a large glass of orange juice and began to tip bacon onto her plate. Jasmine saw Hestia eyeing her appearance, an eyebrow raised in condescension. She ignored her.

"What's wrong?" Tonks asked. Jasmine shrugged.

"Don't know...just feel a bit ill," she said. _Yeah, like I'm going to tell the whole table that I have a hangover. _

Sirius stared at Jasmine across the table. Her hair was tangled around her face, and there were black smudges around her eyes. Her lips were red and stained with lipstick, and she was sitting hunched over the table, eating her bacon. Her face was pale and clammy, her skin tired. She looked terrible. He felt sorry for her again as he had the night before.

Suddenly, without warning, Jasmine choked and pulled away from the table sharply. She scrambled off her chair and ran to the sink, where she retched and vomited into the basin. Everyone turned to look at her as she coughed and choked, shuddering and clinging onto the side of the sink. Hermione had entered the kitchen, and rushed over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he heard her ask. Jasmine shook her head, and Sirius could see she was deathly pale, her black rimmed eyes contrasting eerily with her white skin, which was moist with sweat. Her hair was wet and matted to her face.

She turned and saw the entire kitchen had gone quiet, all eyes on her. Her eyes widened in embarrassment, and she glanced fleetingly around before bolting out of the door and running upstairs to her room.

* * *

Jasmine collapsed onto her bed, wanting more than anything to disappear. She had just been sick in front of the entire kitchen, and _Sirius. _She remembered the disdainful look Hestia had given her as she entered the room, and realized that Sirius was probably just as contemptuous, only he wasn't showing it as clearly. _They'll probably go off and laugh at me,_she thought bitterly. _They'll laugh and call me 'immature' and a 'typical adolescent'. _

"Jasmine?"

It was Harry. Jasmine grunted.

"Are you okay?"

Wearily, she sat up, shaking her head.

"Actually, no I'm not," she said, brushing her damp hair out of her eyes.

"Any particular reason?"

"Well, there's the fact that my head feels like it's being hit repeatedly with an anvil, and the fact that I just threw up in the sink in front of the entire kitchen," she said irritably.

"Better than throwing up on the floor," Harry said. Jasmine smiled weakly.

"Come on, Jas, you have to have breakfast," he said.

"I can't," Jasmine said, shaking her head firmly, without bothering to sit up.

"Why not?" Harry asked, sitting down on the end of the bed.

Because Sirius is there! And Hestia is there! And they'll be sitting and laughing at me and –

"Jasmine?"

She recognized the voice instantly, sitting bolt upright. It was Sirius. _Oh my God oh my God oh my God..._Jasmine fought the urge to dive under the duvet and hide her face.

"Yes?" she asked in what she hoped was a bored-sounding voice, staring absently at the ceiling. She didn't want him to lecture her about being irresponsible or immature or...

"Are you all right?"

Jasmine frowned, thrown off guard. She had expected a lecture.

"Mmm," she said shortly.

"Do you need anything?" He looked concernedly at her. She shook her head. "You should probably have breakfast. If you – "

"Sirius!"

Hestia's voice came sharply up the stairs. Jasmine groaned loudly and flopped back onto the bed.

"Coming!" Sirius called down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked.

"To the Ministry," Sirius replied, pulling on the cloak that he had been carrying.

"Why?" Harry said curiously.

"It's to do with the Order."

Jasmine frowned.

"I thought you weren't allowed out?"

"I'm allowed at the Ministry," Sirius smiled. "Nothing's out to get me there, is it?"

"Of course not," Jasmine said sarcastically. "Nothing bad has _ever _happened to you at the _Ministry _before."

Sirius laughed.

"Good point," he said. "But the only – "

"Sirius!" Hestia called again impatiently.

"Right, I must be off," he said. "Feel better, Jasmine."

And with that he turned and hurried down the stairs. Jasmine groaned again and closed her eyes.

* * *

Sirius and Hestia walked side by side through the Atrium at the Ministry of Magic. Witches and wizards were bustling to and fro, some followed by flocks of memos that flapped overhead as they rushed through the corridors. Sirius found it hard to imagine that several weeks ago, Lord Voldemort had been present in this same hallway. The thought sent a shiver down his spine, and he shook his head to clear it.

"So...where are we going?" he asked Hestia.

"Kingsley's office, first." She flashed him a brilliant smile. "He wants to show you some of the reports the Ministry wrote about you when they were searching for you."

Sirius laughed. "Excellent," he said.

He tried to ignore it, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Jasmine. He wondered if she was okay; ever since she had shown up at the door last night drunk out of her mind, he had been dwelling on what she had been doing and where she had been.

"Jasmine looked...quite...ill this morning, didn't she?" he said to Hestia, hoping his voice sounded casual. He didn't really know why he was bringing it up. Hestia gave a derisive snort.

"Ill? She was obviously suffering from a dreadful hangover." She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I don't know who that girl thinks she is."

Sirius frowned.

"How do you mean?"

Hestia sighed.

"Well, she clearly thinks she's impressive and intimidating because she drinks alcohol," she said. Sirius considered this – he had never really seen it that way before. Hestia continued.

"She's either trying to appear impressive to her friends or trying to be a rebel," she said scornfully.

"You think that's why?" Sirius asked.

"Yes."

The more he thought about it, the more he realized Hestia was right. Why else would Jasmine parade the fact that she had a hangover to the entire kitchen? He would have thought that she'd be ashamed of herself...but maybe she _did _want to appear rebellious...

"You're right," he said. Hestia nodded.

"They're all the same, teenagers," she said.

_She's right, _Sirius thought. _That hangover will probably teach Jasmine a lesson or too. _His sympathy for her had completely dissipated, and he was full of admiration for the beautiful woman beside him. Now, more than ever, he just wanted to take her in his arms and tell her how much happiness she brought into his life.

They had reached the door to Kingsley's office, and Sirius immediately pushed the thoughts of Hestia out of his mind. He would have to focus if he was going to survive another Order meeting.

"After you." He stepped aside to let Hestia in.

* * *

Jasmine sat alone in the living room, showered, dressed properly and clutching a large cup of tea. The pain in her head had lessened due to the aspirin she had taken, and she was staring out of the window, lost in thought.

Did she really like Sirius? The man she'd known for several years now and never really given a second thought to? She wondered how all this had began...ever since they had been living in the same house, something had changed. Her feelings were so tangled up and complicated that she had no idea what she felt for him...she just felt different, somehow. Maybe it was the three hour long conversation they'd had in the early hours of the morning, or the broomstick flying in the garden, but something had made her see past the 'Harry's godfather' part of Sirius, and realize that he actually had a personality. He could actually make her laugh.

She sighed and lay back against the sofa, completely confused. She'd known so many different boys and felt so many different things for them that she found it hard to identify what she was feeling for Sirius.

_You're probably overreacting, _she said to herself. _Sure, he's nice and interesting, but that doesn't mean you like him in that way. _Taking a sip of tea, she wondered vaguely what he was doing at the Ministry. With _Hestia_...

Not wanting to start throwing things around the room, she wiped the thought of Hestia out of her mind. She nearly dropped her tea as her phone began to ring. Grumbling, she put the cup down and picked up the phone. It was her boyfriend.

"Hey, Jay," she said.

"Hey, babe. You alright?"

"Yeah, you?" she asked.

"Good. Just thought I'd ring you, see if you wanted to come over sometime." Jasmine smiled. Typical Jason.

"Yeah, when?"

"I don't know, I'll give you a call."

"Okay. So what have you been – "

"Oh, sorry babes, I have to go. Talk to you later, yeah?"

"Okay, bye."

"Love you."

"Love – " she began, but Jason had already hung up. Sighing, she put the phone back on the table, but was smiling.

Jason may have had his flaws...he may have been sex obsessed, but then again, weren't all boys? She reminded herself that he had picked her to be with, and she should feel lucky for that. She complained about him, but deep down she knew she'd be miserable without him. He was like a safety net for her; they'd been going out so long that she didn't want to think about what it would be like without him. Feeling better about everything than before, she got up from the sofa, intending to make herself some more tea.

* * *

Sirius and Hestia left the Order meeting and made their way back to the Atrium. The Ministry was even busier than before, and it took them a long time to even reach the fountain. The meeting had felt like the longest of his life...he had sat struggling to concentrate as reports upon reports were read out, all focusing on things he thought surely weren't important enough to hold a meeting over. His resolve to stay focused had been pushed to its limits.

"Well, that was...interesting," he said. Hestia laughed.

"I know the Ministry stuff isn't that exciting," she said, "but it's my job, and I kind of have to be there."

"Yes, but why did you have to drag me along?" Sirius asked teasingly.

Hestia looked into his eyes.

"I would have thought that was obvious," she said, smiling gently.

Sirius' stomach jolted. Did she mean what he thought she meant? Her piercing blue eyes were fixed on him as they walked, and he found himself marvelling again at how stunning she was. _She can't like you...can she?! _Then again, what else could she have meant?

Sirius wondered what he was supposed to say in reply to that. He knew what he would have liked to do, but decided that grabbing Hestia and kissing her in the middle of the Ministry Atrium probably wasn't the best idea. Instead, he smiled at her, hoping that he could somehow tell her with a smile that he felt the same way, and had from the moment he had laid eyes on her. She seemed to know this, and gave him a slight nod.

They Apparated back to the living room of 12 Grimmauld Place together. Sirius hoped against hope that Hestia wouldn't have to dash off; that she could stay with him. He had butterflies in his stomach, and the familiar feeling of nervousness that he always experienced when he was close to her.

"So..." he said awkwardly.

"I don't have to go yet," she said. Sirius felt relieved.

"Good," he blurted out before he could stop himself. He regretted it almost instantly; hoping that he hadn't alarmed her and feeling himself blush, he looked away. However, Hestia stepped forward and looked up at him.

"I meant what I said in the Ministry," she said. Sirius felt his stomach jolt again.

"You...you..." he stammered stupidly, wishing he could say something casual or clever, but he seemed to have become momentarily incapable of speaking normally.

"I like you, Sirius," she said, fixing him with her blue-eyed stare. Sirius could feel blood pounding in his ears. His legs seemed to have become glued to the floor. He felt like he was under the Full Body Bind, and couldn't have torn himself away even if he had wanted to. Her face was only inches from his.

He couldn't think of anything to say...he knew he should tell her that he liked her too, that he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her, but he couldn't. Her eyes were still staring straight into his.

"I..." he began, but was cut off as she put an arm around his neck and kissed him.

Sirius' heart soared. Everything he had wanted for the past few weeks was right here in front of him, and she wanted him too. All his worries that she wouldn't feel the same away about him vanished in an instant. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back, losing himself in the warmth of her mouth and the feeling of her arms around him. Her lips were soft against his, and he forgot everything except the fact that one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen liked him...she was kissing him...

A loud crash from the other side of the room startled him, and he pulled away from Hestia, spinning round to see what had happened.

Jasmine was standing in the doorway, frozen, her eyes fixed on him. The broken remains of a china mug lay on the floor, spilt tea seeping through the carpet. The expression on her face was one of shock and disbelief, her eyes wide and staring.

"Jasmine..." he began, not knowing what to say, wondering why she was looking so horrified, and embarrassed that she had walked in on him.

She stared at him for a second, then turned on her heel and fled from the room, leaving Sirius and Hestia standing, gazing after her.

* * *

Jasmine bolted up the stairs to her room. The image of Sirius and Hestia was still fixed in her mind as she slammed the door shut, hearing the crash echoing around the walls. Shock and disbelief were flooding through her...

She had always seen Hestia and Sirius together...always been annoyed at the way Hestia drooled over him, but she had never considered the fact that they might be an item. And to have that fact shoved so cruelly in front of her when she was so unprepared...

She had no idea what she felt for Sirius, but she knew well enough the emotion that had overcame her the second she laid eyes on him kissing _her..._it was jealousy.

She didn't know why, and she knew it was stupid, but she felt hurt. And angry. Angry at that stupid woman who threw herself at Sirius and turned her nose up at Jasmine. Angry at Sirius for being weak enough to submit to her. She ripped off her jeans and sweater and flung them across the room, crying out in anger and frustration. Grabbing a skirt from beside her bed, she pulled it on, tripping over her feet and falling flat on her face in the middle of the room.

She lay there for a second, feeling carpet burns on her knees, and then scrambled to her feet, feeling angrier by the minute. Her boots were lying under the bed and she seized them, pulling them on roughly and zipping them up. She put on a random top and stood in the room for a second, catching sight of herself in the mirror and turning away so she didn't have to see herself, and fighting the urge to burst into tears and slam her fist into the wall. _That stupid woman...stupid Sirius..._Couldn't he see her for what she was? Why was he kissing her?

Flinging the door open again, she stamped out into the hallway and ran down the stairs, nearly falling and having to cling onto the banister for support. Without caring who was in the house or who might be watching her, she pulled open the front door and stepped out into the night.

She didn't care what people thought or what she was doing...she just wanted to obliterate the image of Sirius and Hestia from her mind. She didn't care how many boys she would have to sleep with, or how many vodka shots she would have to pour down her throat...Anything to numb the pain that was taking over, to erase the hurt and the disbelief from her aching head.

* * *

Yay! That's it....REVIEW! 


	11. Jealousy

**A/N: **Chapter 11 is up. Not much to say really, just hope you all like it! Please, I'm begging you to review because I have no idea if I should carry on, and what's good about it and what isn't...so please read and review! Thanks to everyone who reveiwed last time!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

Jasmine returned to 12 Grimmauld Place early the next morning. She had spent the night at Jade's house. Jade was one of her Muggle friends...well, Jasmine supposed she was a friend. She was more like a drinking partner than anything else. But after the state she had been in last night, she didn't want to go back to Grimmauld Place, especially seeing as she was so drunk she couldn't remember the way.

She had taken several painkillers and changed into a pair of Jade's jeans after washing her hair. She couldn't even remember why she had left in the first place. Hopefully no one would even notice that she had been gone. _Hermione will, _she reminded herself. _She'll give you one of those disapproving looks, and Harry and Ron will look at each other. _Running her fingers through her hair, she walked along the street to number 12. It was a beautiful morning; the sun had barely risen over the treetops, but already it was hot and bright.

She knocked on the door, praying that someone like Mrs Weasley wouldn't answer it. Luckily, it was Hermione who appeared.

"Hey," Jasmine said brightly.

"Hi," Hermione said, frowning. "Where have you been?"

"A friend's house," she replied truthfully. Well, that was one of the places she'd been.

"You didn't tell us you were going."

Jasmine sighed.

"I know," she said. "I just wanted to get out; I hate being stuck in this house all the time."

Hermione shrugged and stepped aside to let her in. She was still frowning.

"Are you alright?" Jasmine asked.

"Yes," Hermione said, biting her lip. "It's just..."

"What?"

Hermione hesitated as Jasmine shut the front door.

"Well, you never seem to want to be around us any more," she said.

Jasmine stared at her.

"What!?"

"You're always going out, and..."

"You think I go out cause I don't want to stay with you and Harry and Ron?!" Jasmine exclaimed in disbelief.

"That's what it seems like," Hermione said sadly. Jasmine was shocked that she could think such a thing.

"That's ridiculous!" she said. "Hermione, I go out cause I just want a change sometimes. You're my best friend, of course I like spending time with you!"

Hermione smiled, slightly relieved.

"Okay," she said. "I just..."

"You're being silly," Jasmine said. "Come here."

She gave Hermione a hug, ruffling her hair.

"Hey!" Hermione exclaimed indignantly, smoothing it down frenetically. Jasmine laughed.

"Have you had breakfast?"

"No, I was just about to when _someone _rang the doorbell," she said as they walked to the kitchen.

As she stepped inside, Jasmine remembered instantly why she had stormed out of the house the night before.

Sirius and Hestia were sitting at the table, chatting animatedly as they ate their breakfast. Jasmine stared at Hestia. Had she stayed the night?!

"Morning, Jasmine, dear," Mrs Weasley said. She was sitting at the head of the table eating a piece of toast.

"Morning, Mrs Weasley," Jasmine said politely, tearing her eyes away from Sirius, who was laughing at something Hestia had said.

"Toast?" Mrs Weasley offered her the toast rack.

Her, Hermione, Mrs Weasley, Sirius, Hestia and Lupin were the only people in the kitchen. The table felt awkwardly empty as Jasmine started to eat her breakfast.

"Are you coming out with us today?" Hermione asked.

"Where are you going?"

"Taking Sirius for a walk." She laughed.

"Is _she _coming?" Jasmine muttered, nodding at Hestia. Hermione shrugged.

"I don't know," she said.

It was Hestia's turn now to laugh shrilly at something Sirius had said, putting a hand on his shoulder. She then leaned close to him and whispered something in his ear.

Jasmine dropped her knife, and it fell to the floor with a clatter. Sirius and Hestia jumped and turned to look at her. Jasmine got the impression they had only just noticed she was there. Embarrassed, she bent down and picked the knife up, part of her wishing she could stay under the table. When she emerged, she was sorry to find that Sirius and Hestia had resumed their conversation. She started to pour some cereal into her bowl, staring as she saw Hestia take Sirius' hand, and watched them gaze at each other.

"Jasmine!" Hermione said loudly. Jasmine looked down and realized that the bowl was overflowing; she hadn't been watching as she held the box of cereal over the table.

"Oh, God...sorry, Mrs Weasley," she said frantically, trying to scoop it all into the bowl, feeling herself flush again. Hestia laughed loudly, and Jasmine wondered if she was laughing at her. Trying to distract herself, she started to eat her toast, attempting to look anywhere but at Sirius, who was now buttering Hestia's toast for her. Their faces were barely a foot apart.

There was a crash as Jasmine knocked over her glass of orange juice. It began to flow over the table, and Jasmine jumped up before it could run onto her.

"Oh my God..." she cursed.

"Don't worry, dear," Mrs Weasley said, pulling out her wand and Vanishing the juice and glass, and handing Jasmine another one. She sat down again, but within seconds was transfixed as Hestia and Sirius began to laugh hysterically at some private joke or another.

Jasmine stood up sharply.

"I have to go...to the bathroom...I'll be back in a minute," she mumbled, and ran out of the room, unable to stay in the kitchen with the giggling Hestia and Sirius any more.

* * *

Sirius was torn between excitement that he could go outside, and sadness that Hestia was leaving as he said goodbye to her at the front door. He had begged her to accompany him, but she had to return to the Ministry.

"I'll see you soon," she smiled, kissing him on the cheek.

"Okay," he said reluctantly, wanting her to stay. He watched as she left the house, looking back at him and smiling. She paused to blow him a kiss from the end of the path, and he did the same.

"How touching," he heard Jasmine say sarcastically from behind him. He turned around, frowning. She was standing at the foot of the stairs, pulling on her shoes.

"You're in a bad mood," Sirius observed, an eyebrow raised.

"No I'm not," she said.

"Then why did you say that?"

"Because I was being rude and cynical," Jasmine said in a bored voice without looking up. She stood up and yelled up the stairs, "Hermione! Come on!"

"Coming," Hermione said breathlessly, emerging from the top of the stairs with Harry and Ron.

"Sirius, are you ready?" Harry asked.

"He's finally stopped snogging Hestia," Jasmine said irritably, pushing past Sirius as she walked out of the front door. "Let's go," she said to the others, who followed.

Sirius, still frowning, transformed into a large, black dog. Hermione promptly transformed him into a tiny white puppy and closed the door behind him. Luckily Sirius didn't need McGonagall to transfigure him every time he wanted to go out; Hermione could do it.

"Can we keep him on a leash?" Jasmine smirked as they crossed the road.

They strolled lazily towards the park, the summer sun burning brightly overhead.

"I wonder how Fred and George are getting on," Ron mused, squinting as he looked up at the sky.

"They haven't been into the shop much lately, have they?" Hermione said.

"Working on that invention, aren't they?" Jasmine said. "They still won't tell me what it is."

"Nor me," Ron said. "And I'm supposed to be their brother!"

"I don't think that makes much difference, Ron," Hermione said. Ron ignored her.

"It's nice to get out of that house for a while," Harry said, changing the subject.

Sirius barked loudly in agreement as he gambolled joyfully along the path that lead into the middle of the park. The others followed, and sat down on the grass, next to the large fountain in the centre of the open space.

"God, it's hot," Jasmine remarked, stretching out her legs and lying back against the side of the fountain.

Sirius sat down on the grass and watched the others chatting animatedly.

"I wonder how Malfoy is getting on at home," Ron smirked.

"Without his dear Death Eater father," Harry said. "I'm surprised he hasn't escaped yet."

"Don't say things like that," Hermione said, shuddering. "How would you feel if he actually _did _escape tomorrow?"

Harry shrugged.

"You'd better watch out, Harry," Jasmine said. "Malfoy's got it in for you now."

Harry laughed.

"When has Malfoy ever _not _had it in for me?" he said.

"Good point. I wonder what tricks he has up his sleeve this year."

"Well, now that he isn't a prominent member of the Inquisitorial Squad, I'd say a lot less than before."

"Thank God," Ron muttered.

"I wonder what happened to that Marietta girl," Hermione pondered. "Do you think she's still covered in boils?"

"I hope so," Harry said savagely.

"I can't believe Cho stood up for her," Ron said in disbelief. "You were right to finish with her when you did, mate," he nodded fervently at Harry.

"I heard her and Michael broke up," Hermione said.

"How did you hear that?" Harry asked.

"Ginny heard it from Dean," Jasmine said.

"Is she...I mean, are her and Dean..." Ron stuttered.

"They're still going out, yes," Hermione said matter-of-factly, as Ron shot a furtive glance at Harry.

A loud whistle interrupted their conversation. They looked around to see where it had come from, and saw a group of boys standing on the other side of the fountain. Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"Hey!" one of them called. They were nudging each other and chortling.

"Jasmine!" another shouted. Jasmine ignored them, but Sirius could see her face reddening slightly.

"Oy, Jasmine! Matt told us all about the other night!"

Jasmine continued to ignore them furiously. Harry, Ron and Hermione were looking from the boys to Jasmine in confusion.

"Yeah, can I have a go?" one of them called, grinning lewdly at Jasmine. Suddenly, she sat up and turned to them.

"Fuck off!" she shouted angrily.

"Aww, Jasmine," one of them said, grinning. Jasmine stuck her middle finger up at them and turned back to the others, looking flustered. The boys started to leave, still looking back and sniggering stupidly.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked.

"I have no idea," Jasmine said unconvincingly, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes.

Sirius watched her as she attempted to join in the conversation again. She looked distracted, and kept glancing back to make sure the boys weren't there. He wondered how she knew them. He tried to get a closer look at her face, but it was hidden by her hair.

After a few minutes, Sirius realized he had been staring at her and tore his eyes away. He ran around the park for a while, having to dodge a vicious looking Alsatian and a group children who pelted him with sticks in the hope that he might catch one, before arriving back at the fountain. The conversation had now turned to boyfriends and girlfriends. Sirius smiled inwardly as he was reminded of himself and his friends at Hogwarts, staying up late in the boys' dormitories and discussing their girlfriends, ex girlfriends and potential girlfriends.

"So, Harry, got your eye on anyone?" Jasmine grinned. Harry shook his head, shrugging.

"Nope," he said. He and Jasmine both turned to Ron at the same time.

"Ron?" they asked simultaneously. Ron blushed furiously and shook his head violently.

"No," he said. Sirius couldn't tell if he was hiding something, or if the mere thought of a girlfriend embarrassed him. Both notions were somewhat amusing.

"I think you do," Jasmine grinned. Ron shook his head again.

"No I don't!" he protested. "Ask Hermione!"

Hermione merely shrugged and shook her head.

"You can't not answer!" Harry said.

"She wouldn't answer when I asked her when her first kiss was either," Jasmine sighed.

"Only because Fred and George were in the room!" Hermione protested shrilly.

"So?"

"Well, they would have made fun of me!" she said. Jasmine laughed.

"Well, they're not here now," she pointed out. "Go on, tell us."

Hermione looked down at the grass.

"June last year," she said.

"What?!" Ron spluttered. "You never...I mean, you never told us that!"

Hermione eyed him scathingly.

"I don't have to tell you _everything, _Ron," she said. Ron was still spluttering in disbelief.

"Who with?!" he asked. Hermione blushed.

"Viktor," she said, in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper. Ron gaped at her.

"Ron?" Jasmine asked. This caused Ron to turn even redder and splutter some more.

"When he was ten," Harry grinned. "With a girl who lived in his village."

"It wasn't my fault!" Ron stammered. "We were playing Kiss-Chase, and...and she cornered me!"

Hermione was beaming at Ron's crimson face.

"Well, we all know mine was Cho," Harry said. "Jasmine?"

Jasmine looked thoughtful for a second.

"Eleven, I think," she said.

"Who with?"

"Er...I think his name was Luke," she said. "We were playing Spin the Bottle."

"What's that?" Ron asked curiously.

"It's where you sit in a circle with a bottle in the middle, and you spin it and you have to kiss the person it lands on," she explained. There was a pause, in which Ron nodded thoughtfully.

"Let's go for a walk," Harry suggested, sitting up. Sirius joined them as they began to amble lazily around the park.

* * *

Sirius sat in the drawing room a few hours later, trying to concentrate on the book he held in his hands, but failing. He was staring into space, not really thinking about anything at all, but still managing to be lost in his thoughts. Loud footsteps on the stairs told him that Jasmine was coming downstairs, and he half hoped she wouldn't come into the living room. He found himself becoming extremely confused around her lately, and he had no idea why. Almost as if fate was laughing at him, Jasmine entered the room, clutching her mobile phone as usual.

"Hello," she said brightly, sitting down on the sofa.

"Hi," Sirius said vaguely.

"What're you thinking about?" she asked, crossing her legs.

Sirius shrugged.

"Hestia?" Jasmine suggested. Sirius frowned.

"Er..." he said, unsure of how to reply to that question.

"You like her, don't you?" she pressed.

"Well, I..." Sirius tailed off, hoping she'd take the hint and change the subject.

"Well, you obviously like her, why else would you have had your tongue down her throat yesterday?"

Sirius stared at her, completely taken aback._ Why is she talking to me like this?! Has she mistaken me for Harry or something?_

"Er..."

"Do you love her?" Jasmine continued.

Sirius gaped at her in disbelief. He didn't know what he'd expected her to say, but it had not been that._You don't ask something like that! _Why was she asking him all this?

"Jasmine, I really don't think – "

"Whatever, I was only asking," Jasmine said, rolling her eyes. "Couldn't have me talking about precious Hestia, could we?" She kicked the coffee table moodily.

"Jasmine!" Sirius said sharply.

"Oh, have I touched a nerve?" Jasmine said snidely.

"Why are you talking to me like this?!" Sirius asked in disbelief.

"Why shouldn't I?"

_God..._Sirius thought. _She really is a 'rebellious' teenager like Hestia said._

"Jasmine, I'm afraid you have no reason to talk to me like this!"

Jasmine rolled her eyes again.

"Of course," she said bitterly. "Couldn't have poor, unworthy me speaking the name of wondrous Hestia."

Sirius was still staring open-mouthed at her. How could anyone's mood change that quickly? And why was she getting so worked up?! He felt himself feeling angry – she had no right to be speaking to him like this, or insulting Hestia.

"Stop it, Jasmine," he said crossly.

"Stop what?" she asked innocently.

"Insulting me and Hestia!" he said exasperatedly.

"I'm not insulting her," Jasmine said. "I am merely stating that I think she's an ugly slag and I'd like to feed her to Lupin come full moon."

Sirius stared at her, speechless. He had never expected her to say something like that. The fact that she didn't even seem to care about his reaction stunned him. He felt angry; angry that she had insulted Hestia who had done nothing wrong, and angry that she was being so immature and rude. He felt the words leave his mouth before he could stop himself.

"Don't talk about her like that! You're the one who cheats on your boyfriend!" he said heatedly, remembering when Jasmine had told him she was cheating on her boyfriend after he phoned. He regretted it almost the instant he had said it.

Jasmine looked stunned for a second, then her expression turned to one of fury.

"How _dare _you!" she shouted, getting up off the sofa, her face contorted in anger. "You don't know the first _thing _– "

"I'm sorry," Sirius said quickly, wishing he hadn't said it now. It was such a childish thing to say and he cursed himself for it. He didn't want to sink to her level. He wasn't exactly sorry, though. _She deserves it for being so rude. _

"No you're not!" she said angrily. Her face relaxed slightly. "So that's what you think of me, is it?" She stared at him, no longer angry. She now looked hurt, her eyes welling with tears.

"Jasmine – " he began, wanting to reason with her.

"For your information," she said, her voice shaking with suppressed misery and anger, "it is common knowledge that my boyfriend cheats on me almost every night with a different girl. He's got one of them pregnant." A tear fell down her cheek involuntarily, and she brushed it away furiously. He couldn't tell if it was because she was sad or angry.

There was a nasty silence. Sirius felt horrible. He had had no idea, and he knew that Jasmine wasn't lying. He had forgotten about his anger at her a second ago, and deeply regretted what he had said. Clearly, he had hit her right where it hurt most, and felt awful for it.

"I – " he began, wishing somehow he could go back in time and stop himself from saying that to her.

"Whatever," she said, turning on her heel and running out of the room, leaving Sirius feeling terrible.

* * *

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny sat in the attic that afternoon, bored and weary. Fred and George were still at their shop in Diagon Alley, and so were not able to provide the others with their usual amusement.

"When are Fred and George going to be back?" Ron moaned.

"I don't know. They haven't been into the shop much lately, so I suppose they have to catch up on stuff," Ginny said.

"But I'm _bored,_" Ron groaned, lying back against the bed.

"Where's Jasmine, by the way?" Ginny asked Hermione.

"Gone to see her boyfriend," Hermione said. She bit her lip, hesitating, and then spoke in an uncertain voice. "You don't...you haven't noticed she's a bit..._odd_...lately, have you?"

There was a pause.

"How do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Well, she's always going out, and...turning up the next day all...hungover, and stuff," Hermione said.

"And she's got a bit of a temper," Ginny said.

Harry snorted.

"She's always had a bit of a temper."

"Yes, but not as much as now."

"I'm worried about her," Hermione said honestly. "I don't know where she goes out all the time, but she's doing herself more harm than good."

"Maybe it's just a phase," Ron said. Hermione shrugged.

Suddenly, Mrs Weasley's voice floated up from downstairs.

"Ginny!"

Ginny groaned.

"Yes?" she called.

"Can you come down here please, dear? I need some help in the kitchen."

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Great," she said sarcastically. She got up slowly and walked to the door. "Coming Mum!"

"I'll go with you," Harry said, wanting to make himself useful.

"Have fun," Ron smirked as they disappeared downstairs. There was an awkward silence, in which Hermione attempted to start reading her book, but gave up.

"So...Ron," she said. "Do you think Jas is acting weirdly?"

Ron considered this thoughtfully.

"Maybe. She's acting crazier than usual."

Hermione bit her lip.

"I'm worried about her," she said again. Ron looked uncomfortable, and put a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"She'll be fine," he said. "She's done worse."

"Maybe. I just can't understand why she's acting like this."

Ron shrugged.

"I'm not the best person to understand girls, as you always point out," he said. Hermione smiled weakly.

"I'm only joking," she said.

"You said I had the emotional range of a teaspoon," Ron said, looking slightly disgruntled. Hermione chuckled and ruffled his hair.

* * *

Sirius was still sitting on the sofa an hour later, his mind reeling, overcome with regret. He had no idea why he had snapped at Jasmine that way. It was so unlike him that he couldn't comprehend how he could have even said it. He had sunk to her level...no, he had sunk lower. He had insulted her, and he had been wrong.

The look in her eyes as she had turned and fled from the room was still fixed painfully in his mind, and remained no matter how hard he tried to forget it. She had been genuinely hurt by his cruel comment. She may have insulted Hestia, but she hadn't insulted Sirius personally, as he had done to her. He wished he could shelve his pride and go and apologise to her, but he knew that no matter how hard he tried to hide it, he was too stubborn and too proud to do such a thing.

And then there had been what Jasmine had said to him. About her boyfriend cheating on her. He had never been betrayed by someone in that way before, and could only imagine how bad it must feel. He couldn't understand why Jasmine was still with the boy if he cheated on her and she cheated on him. He had always thought that Jasmine Reynolds came from the same kind of world as Harry and Hermione, but the more he spoke to her, the more he realized. She wasn't innocent as they were; she came from a world where cheating and drinking and sleeping around were regarded as normal, and that realization had hit him painfully as he had stared at the lost, angry girl before him, her eyes filled with tears at something he had said.

He watched people walk down the street outside the window without really seeing them at all. He was so confused and regretful that he didn't care how long he sat in the sofa, as long as he didn't have to face Jasmine again. Maybe it would have been better if she had shouted at him and called him names and screamed that she hated him, at least then he would have felt justified in retorting at her. But the look of hurt disappointment in her eyes was worse than a hundred angry insults she could have thrown at him. As he stared blankly out of the window, two figures came into view in the middle of the street. He was jolted out of his miserable reverie as he recognized one of them. _Jasmine. _

She was standing next to a tall, blonde boy who was pushing a bike with one hand, the other holding hers. Her face looked nothing like it had earlier; she was smiling up at the boy, no trace of anger upon her face.

_So that's her boyfriend..._Sirius thought. He felt a rush of antagonism as he remembered what Jasmine had said.

_"It is common knowledge that my boyfriend cheats on me almost every night with a different girl. He's got one of them pregnant."_

Was this the boy who had made her miserable? Part of the reason she had looked so hurt? Sirius realized what he was thinking and cursed himself.

_Stop trying to blame him. You're the reason she looked so hurt, no one else._

He watched as the boy leaned down and kissed Jasmine, his bike lying forgotten on the road. Sirius suddenly felt strange watching it...he didn't understand why, but a part of him didn't like it one bit. He looked away, trying to focus on a painting on the wall, but it didn't help. Feeling frustrated and confused, he stood up sharply and walked out of the room, not wanting to have to watch the scene on the road any more. If he had thought longer about how he was feeling, he would have recognized the emotion as jealousy...but Sirius was far too proud and stubborn to ever admit that to himself.

* * *

That's it. PLEASE review! You know you want to.....


	12. Eyes

**A/N: **Ok, seems to be working now, so here it is, chapter 12! Lots of people have been asking me when Sirius and Jasmine are finally going to get together...well, obviously I can't tell you, but I can promise that it will happen soon so watch this space...hehe. Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, keep on reviewing!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

A few days later, Jasmine awoke to find herself in a large double bed. It was around midday, and the room was filled with sunlight. For a few moments, she couldn't remember where she was and sat up, disorientated, staring around. The room seemed vaguely familiar, somehow, and as a boy entered through the door, the memories came rushing back.

"Hey," she smiled at him, running her fingers through her hair.

"Hi," he said. His name was Alex, and he was tall, with wet, tousled dark hair, and wearing a towel wrapped round his waist.

"You all right?" she asked. He nodded, and walked over to the wardrobe, where he began searching for some clothes. Jasmine yawned and scanned the floor for her own clothes. Alex pulled on a pair of boxers and threw his towel on the bed, ruffling his hair in an attempt to dry it. He turned to Jasmine, eyebrows raised expectantly.

"You can leave, now, by the way," he said, gesturing to her clothes which were strewn across the floor near the wardrobe. Jasmine was taken aback.

"What, like..._right _now?" she said, frowning. Alex laughed.

"Well obviously you can get dressed first," he said, turning back to the wardrobe and pulling out a shirt.

"And then..." Jasmine said, confused. "Why, are you busy today?"

Alex shook his head.

"Then, why do I have to go?"

"Because it's morning?" he said, as if this was obvious. "Come on, get dressed."

Jasmine felt her heart sink.

"So...we're not..." she stammered. Alex turned round, and his face fell.

"Oh God..." he said. "You're not one of those girls who think one night stands actually mean something, are you?" He rolled his eyes.

Jasmine stared at him, feeling as if he had just burst the contented bubble inside her. She liked this boy...she had come home with him, hoping that maybe she could talk to him or get to know him...or something.

"Um..." she said, not knowing what to say. "No."

She didn't want to admit to him that she'd actually been that naïve.

"Thank God," he said, laughing. "Cause it wouldn't have been good if you did – I can't even remember your name!"

He was still chucking to himself as he pulled on a shirt and started to put gel in his hair.

Jasmine felt her eyes involuntarily well with tears, and she blinked hard.

"Okay," she said in a small voice, and began to put her clothes back on.

"I'm going out now," Alex said, putting his shoes on. "You can let yourself out, right?"

Jasmine stared up at him.

"Um...yeah," she said quietly. Without so much as a 'goodbye', Alex left the room. When she heard the door click behind him as he left the house, tears spilled from her eyes.

She didn't really understand why, and wanted more than anything to be calm and just leave, but for some reason she was unable to stop herself. She threw the clothes she was holding angrily across the floor, and buried her face in the duvet. She hadn't thought she cared for Alex that much...there was something else that was bothering her, but she was too angry and upset to care. Hauling herself out of bed, she dressed carelessly and ran her fingers through her hair. Purposefully avoiding the mirror, she splashed her face with some water in the bathroom and ran downstairs, tears still pouring down her face. She didn't care how she looked; she was just determined to get out of the house as quickly as possible.

As she stepped outside into the bright sunlight, she was glad that she knew Muggle London, otherwise she would have had no idea how to get home, having been slightly tipsy when her and Alex walked to his house.

She half ran through the streets, determined to get back to number 12 before anyone could see her crying and ask what was wrong.

After several minutes, Jasmine turned the corner into Grimmauld Place and sprinted towards the house. The exhaustion and frustration of everything that had happened to her was causing tears to continue running down her face. She found it hard to believe that only a few minutes ago, she had woken up feeling peaceful and content. Wiping her eyes and trying to look as if she hadn't just run home crying, she stood in front of the door and tentatively raised a hand to knock. She didn't know what time was, but didn't really care either. The door opened, and Jasmine stumbled backwards. It was Sirius.

_Oh my God...the last person I wanted to see..._ She immediately jerked her head so her hair would hide her make up free, tear-stained face. Sirius was frowning concernedly at her.

"Jasmine?" he said. "Are you – "

"I'm fine," she said, pushing past him roughly before he could see her any more closely. She ran upstairs, still crying, feeling angry and embarrassed. Unfortunately, Hermione, Ginny and Harry were sitting on the beds in her room. She faltered for a second, as all of them turned and stared at her, and then she ran into the next available empty room – the bathroom.

"Jasmine!" Hermione called after her. Jasmine slammed the door shut and locked it. She could tell Hermione was standing outside. "Jas, are you okay?" she asked.

"Please, leave me alone," Jasmine called, catching sight of herself in the mirror and closing her eyes, feeling tears spill down onto her shirt.

"Jas, I – "

"Please, Hermione," Jasmine said, sitting down on the side of the bath and putting her face in her hands. Hermione let out an audible sigh from the other side of the door, and Jasmine could hear her footsteps as she walked away.

* * *

"She was crying, I'm just wondering what's wrong," Sirius said anxiously, staring at the living room door as if Jasmine was about to appear through it.

"Maybe she's drunk again," Hestia said, rolling her eyes.

"No..." Sirius said vaguely, still staring at the door.

"Where has she been all night anyway?" Hestia asked. Sirius shrugged.

"I think maybe I should..." he said, standing up, intending to go and see Jasmine.

"Sirius, please, that girl will be fine," Hestia said impatiently, taking his hand and pulling him back onto the sofa. "I'm sure she can take care of herself."

Sirius considered. He knew she could take care of herself, but he was still worried. Partly because he feared Jasmine's sadness was his fault. Partly because he didn't know where she had been. And partly because she was crying, and no matter how hard he tried to hide it, he was concerned.

"I know, but..." he said distractedly, turning away, torn between staying and leaving.

"Sirius, please," Hestia said, taking both his hands in hers. She leaned forward and kissed him, and Sirius immediately felt his resolve melt away. Hestia pulled away and looked into his eyes, smiling.

"Do you still feel like leaving?" she asked. Sirius grinned at her and shook his head, putting his arms around her waist and kissing her again. He wouldn't have been able to leave even if he had wanted to.

* * *

Jasmine finally emerged from the bathroom half an hour later. She had wiped her tears away and splashed her face with water, but still her eyes managed to look red and puffy. Sighing, she walked cautiously to her room, not really wanting to be questioned by everyone. She was relieved to find only Hermione and Ginny in the girls' room, sitting on Hermione's bed and talking. They both looked up when they saw her, their expressions identically concerned.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked, as Jasmine sat down on the bed beside her. She nodded, sniffing.

"Where were you last night?" Hermione asked.

"With Jason," Jasmine lied. Hermione nodded.

"What's wrong? Is it Jason?" she asked worriedly. Jasmine shook her head.

"It's nothing," she said dismissively. Hermione looked sceptically at her.

"It's obviously something," she said. "Don't you want to talk about it?"

_No, I don't. And if I did, you'd be shocked and horrified and wonder what the hell is wrong with me._

"Not really," Jasmine said honestly. She stared out of the window at the cloudless blue sky, searching for something to say that would convince Hermione and Ginny that she was fine.

"Jas, you've been upset a lot lately," Ginny said tentatively. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

Jasmine was touched by her compassion, but there was no way she was going to tell Ginny about her feelings for Sirius. Or the fact that she had woken up next to someone who was practically a stranger, who couldn't even remember her name.

"No, it's just....stuff," she said. _Oh, well done. That was well explained. _

"Boy stuff?" Hermione asked. Jasmine frowned.

"How did you know that?" she asked, before she could stop herself. _Oh great. _

"It is Jason?" Ginny asked. Jasmine shook her head.

"No," she said firmly.

"Is it...some ex boyfriend?" Hermione suggested. Again, Jasmine shook her head. An image of the _actual _person who was bothering her crossed her mind, and she felt tears well up in her eyes again. Trying desperately not to cry, she gazed down at the duvet.

"Is it...someone you like but you can't be with?" Hermione said. Jasmine looked up sharply.

"Why wouldn't I...I mean, why couldn't I be with someone?" she asked. Hermione blushed.

"No, I meant because you have a boyfriend," she said. Jasmine smiled.

"Oh," she said. "I thought you meant cause I'm hideously ugly or something." Ginny laughed.

"Is it...that boy, Matt?" she asked. Jasmine shook her head.

"Is it...Harry?" Hermione suggested.

"No."

Ginny frowned.

"Okay....is it...Ron?" she asked. The three of them burst out laughing.

"I knew that'd cheer you up," Ginny grinned. "Poor old Ron."

"Yeah," Jasmine smiled. Her sadness was slowly ebbing away.

"I bet it's Malfoy!" Hermione giggled. Jasmine raised her eyebrows.

"Please, give me a _little _more credit than Draco Malfoy," she said scornfully. "You'll never guess, anyway. And even if you did, I wouldn't say."

Ginny shrugged.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell us," she said.

"But if you ever do want to talk about it, you can," Hermione said. Jasmine smiled weakly.

"Thanks," she said. Hermione put an arm around her.

"It's okay. Now, you need to have breakfast."

Jasmine fought the urge to say she wasn't hungry, realizing it would be pointless to stay upstairs and sulk.

"Okay," she sighed, getting up from the bed wearily.

"Good luck with this mystery person, Jas," Ginny smiled. Jasmine shook her head.

"It'll never happen," she said gloomily, as they traipsed downstairs.

She could hear voices coming from the kitchen, and hoped that Sirius wouldn't be there. His presence was far too distracting. Thankfully, he was not. Mrs Weasley, Tonks, Lupin, Fred, Bill, George, Harry and Ron were sitting at the table eating breakfast. They looked up and smiled as Jasmine, Hermione and Ginny walked in and sat down.

"Morning Hermione, morning Jasmine," Mrs Weasley said brightly, offering them some cereal.

Jasmine realized how hungry she was as she ate, half listening to the conversation going on around her, half thinking about Sirius and what he had said to her the day before.

He had called her a slag...maybe not outright, but he had. The fact that he would even think that of her made her want to break down and cry, but the fact that he was defending _Hestia..._perfect, precious Hestia... Jasmine found it ironic that she had known Hestia for little more than two weeks, and already she hated her more than Umbridge. Well...maybe not quite as much. She had felt no triumph as she proved Sirius wrong, as she told him about Jason, only sadness as she was reminded of it, and embarrassment as she admitted it.

Sighing, she poured herself a drink. There was no use dwelling on it now.

"Hey, Jas," hissed Fred from next to her.

"Hey," Jasmine said. "Not working today?"

"We took the day off," George said, smiling proudly. "It's a special day, you see."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"Well, after pondering long and hard," Fred said, closing his eyes and looking pained.

"We have decided to reveal the fruit of our labours for the past few weeks," George whispered, beaming. Jasmine was intrigued, despite herself.

"When?" she asked.

"This afternoon," Fred said. "Miss it, miss out."

She laughed. "It had better be good."

"Oh, you won't be disappointed," George said, nodding earnestly.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm here," Hermione said dryly, shaking her head.

"Oh, stop being so miserable, Hermione," Ron said reproachfully. Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but was interrupted by the arrival of Fred and George.

They were all sitting in the attic, awaiting the unveiling of Fred and George's latest invention. Hermione had been extremely reluctant, again referring to the 'naked scarf thing' in disgust, but Ron had somehow persuaded her to come along. Maybe the embarrassment of her previous encounter with the Naked Necktie was still sufficient enough to motivate her.

"This had better be good," Harry said, folding his arms and resting his head against the wall.

Fred was carrying a small silver box, clutching it to his chest as if it was extremely precious to him. George cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Ladies and Gentlemen," he addressed them.

"Noble mischief makers," Fred added.

"I know you have spent many hours – " George continued

"Days," Fred said.

"Indeed, many days – "

"Weeks," Fred interrupted.

"Yes, many weeks," he glared at Fred, ordering him silently not to interrupt again, "for this moment."

"Hear hear," Ginny said enthusiastically from the floor.

"And we have decided to spare you any more agonising suspense," George continued.

"Many hours of hard labour have been dedicated to this project," Fred said solemnly. "And it is a subject very close to our hearts."

"One might go so far as to say it is the best thing we have ever done," George agreed soberly.

"Second only to escaping from Umbridge on a pair of broomsticks in full view of our noble comrades," Fred said, and Ron nodded ardently.

"We have decided that the time is now right," George said. "To reveal..."

"_Extendable Eyes!_" Fred and George said in unison, whipping the lid off the silver box. There was an intrigued silence.

"I ask you," George said rhetorically. "How many times you have wanted to know what someone else is doing or saying? How many times you have wanted proof of a suspicion – "

"Or merely to spy on an enemy," Fred finished. "Well, your troubles have come to an end, my friends."

He reached into the box, and pulled out a large circular disc. It was about the size of a CD, and painted as if it were an eyeball. However, where the pupil should have been, there was a blank white circle. Jasmine and the others were peering at it, enthralled.

"I see you are perplexed," George said. He turned to Fred.

"Fred, would you care to demonstrate?"

Fred nodded obligingly, taking the disc. He spoke clearly into it.

"George Weasley."

At once, the white circle filled with coloured blurs, which spun around, eventually arranging themselves into a picture. He held the disc up for everyone to see, and the crowd on the bed gasped.

In the middle of the eye, there was a moving image of George. However, they might as well have been seeing George straight through the eye; the moving image's actions were identical to George's – it was as if they were watching a film.

"Oh my..." Hermione gasped. She stared up at Fred in amazement. "How did...how did you – ?!"

Fred grinned at her.

"Now, George, if you'd like to stand outside the door. Harry, please accompany him."

Harry and George left the room.

"George will do something that we are unaware of," Fred said. "When he returns, he will tell us what he was doing, and we will see if it matches what we saw here. Harry will make sure he is telling the truth."

The others didn't seem to need any more proof that the Eyes worked – they were still staring, astounded.

"George, if you please?" Fred said loudly to the door. Jasmine stared into the Eye, and saw George waving frantically at mid air. The sight was rather amusing. Several seconds later, George and Harry reappeared.

"What were you doing, George?" Fred asked jovially.

"Waving," George grinned. Harry nodded.

There was an amazed silence.

"Now," Fred said in a business-like tone. "Further proof." His eyes glinted evilly.

"Molly Weasley," he said into the Eye.

Mrs Weasley swam into view. She was standing over the stove, stirring something in a large pan as she hummed along to the radio that was playing in the background.

"Remus Lupin," Fred commanded.

Lupin appeared. He was sitting in a chair in the garden, immersed in a book, tapping his foot absent-mindedly against the ground.

"Wow..." Ron said in awe. "This is amazing."

Hermione, however, was frowning.

"But...isn't this an invasion of privacy?" she asked doubtfully. "Like...what if they're doing something that you really shouldn't be seeing?!"

"Like if they're in the shower or something," George grinned. "Fear not, Hermione, we have even taken this into account. Fred?"

"Indeed," Fred said. "If the person is doing something that is simply unsuitable for viewing, a message will appear. It will disappear when normal activity has been resumed."

Hermione still looked worried.

"But...people would never be able to have any privacy any more!" she said shrilly. "If you sell these to every – "

"Wait a second!" Fred interrupted. "Who said anything about selling?"

There was silence. Hermione looked puzzled.

"Well, in your shop...I thought..."

Fred closed his eyes, a pained grimace on his face.

"Hermione, Hermione," he sighed. "I would have thought you'd have given us a little more credit than that. Of course we're not going to sell them. They're for the Order."

Hermione looked even more stunned. Apparently, the idea of Fred and George using their mischief for a worthy cause was even more shocking than the idea of being able to spy on someone without them knowing.

"Really?" Harry asked. George nodded.

"If they turn out to be a success, maybe we'll consider selling them," he said, shrugging. "But we have ways of monitoring the usage of these, and let me tell you, if anyone is using them inappropriately, we will confiscate them."

"And ban them from the shop," Fred grinned.

Everyone was staring at Fred and George, awestruck.

"Wow," Harry said, summarising the feelings of the group.

"We knew you'd be impressed," Fred said, looking at George, who nodded.

"Now," George said, putting the disc back into its box. "We're leaving this up here, and we mean it when we say it is not to be used without our permission." He looked strangely serious. They all nodded in understanding, and George placed the box on the bedside table.

"Excellent," he said brightly.

"So when are you planning on showing them to the Order?" Harry asked.

"If all goes well, tomorrow at dinner," Fred said. "George and I are going out to the shop now, if any of you youngsters feel like coming."

He strode over to the wardrobe and rummaged through it, eventually pulling out his dragon skin jacket, which he donned proudly.

"I'll come!" Ron said enthusiastically. "I want to have a look around!"

"Me too," Ginny said, jumping up off the bed. They all looked at Hermione, who was hesitating.

"Hermione, you're coming too, aren't you?" Ron asked.

"Well, I – "

"Excellent," he said, without waiting for an answer. He hauled her off the bed.

"I don't need you to manhandle me, Ron," Hermione said irritably, pushing him away from her and straightening her shirt.

"Got everything?" Fred asked George, who nodded. They made their way out of the door. Harry turned round.

"Come on, Jas," he said to Jasmine who was lingering by the bedside table.

"I'll catch you up," she said. "I just need to do some...stuff."

Harry shrugged and left the room. Jasmine waited until their voices became distant in the hallway, then turned to the box on the bedside table. She felt slightly guilty, remembering what George had said, but her curiosity overcame her. Hands trembling slightly, she opened the box and pulled out the disc. It was blank, and oddly heavy. Hesitating, she glanced around furtively to make sure no one was watching. When she was satisfied that she was completely alone, she held the disc up and spoke clearly into it.

"Sirius Black."

The disc was blank for a moment, and then an image began to swim into view. Jasmine peered at it closely, and then felt her heart sink horribly.

Sirius and Hestia were sitting on the sofa in the living room, their arms around each other, kissing. She recognized Hestia's long, dark hair and robes even though she couldn't see her face. She stared transfixed for a second, and then, feeling familiar anger and hurt rise up inside her, she shoved the disc hurriedly back into its box and turned to leave.

Suddenly she didn't feel like going to Diagon Alley, or laughing along with Fred and George's jokes. More than anything, she just wanted to curl up in a dark corner and hide from everything; try and forget about what she had just seen.

She sat down on George's bed, staring out of the window in the roof at the sky, which somehow seemed duller than it had before. Try as she might, she couldn't get the image of Sirius and Hestia kissing out of her mind. She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun through the window upon her face. It did nothing to cheer her up. She had just been reminded, once again, that Sirius would never be interested in someone like her, and felt more hopeless than ever.

* * *

Review! Review! Review! Thank you...hehe :-)


	13. Rescue

**A/N: **Woot, 2 chapters in less than half an hour! This is specially for Peach and Ginny...hehe. I really like this one and I'm looking forward to 14 but it could be a while because it's not even started yet...but maybe if everyone reviews I'll be more inclined to hurry...no pressure, obviously! :-)

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

"Jasmine, get up!"

Jasmine groaned, rolling over in bed and closing her eyes.

"We're going to the park soon!"

She sat up wearily, yawning. It was around midday and the room was uncomfortably bright. Taking a few moments to register what was going on, she blinked sleepily and stared at the door.

"When?" she called out hoarsely.

"About half an hour," Harry replied.

Resignedly, Jasmine got up out of bed and left the room.

"Come and have breakfast," Harry said, and they walked downstairs together.

"Why are we going to the park?" Jasmine asked.

"Taking Sirius for a walk."

"Fun."

They sat down at the kitchen table, and Jasmine, still half-asleep, helped herself to toast.

"Sirius, there's a meeting today," Mrs Weasley was saying, as she bustled about the kitchen putting pots and pans away. Sirius did not look cheered at this news.

"Why?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Oh, Severus has a report we need to see," Mrs Weasley said vaguely.

Sirius looked even more put out at this revelation.

"Do I have to be there?" he asked.

"Yes," Mrs Weasley said sternly. There was a pause, and her face broke into a slight smile. "And I daresay you might find there are some...redeeming features to this meeting..."

Sirius didn't seem to understand.

"Such as...?" he asked.

"Oh, just that a certain..._female _member of the Order is attending..."

Smiling mysteriously, Mrs Weasley turned back to the cupboard.

Sirius' spirits lifted – he was clearly trying to hide a smile. Jasmine however felt her good mood rapidly evaporating. She rolled her eyes and continued to eat her toast.

The door opened, and Lupin entered the room. He looked tired, but gave them all a wan smile as he sat down at the head of the table.

"Morning, Remus," Mrs Weasley said brightly.

"Morning, Molly," Lupin replied.

Sirius gave Lupin a brief nod, still smiling stupidly. Jasmine sighed.

"Well, I'm going to get dressed," she said, getting up and leaving the room.

She stood outside the door, leaning against the wall, her eyes closed.

She hated the stupid grin that had come over Sirius' face at the thought of Hestia. She hated the fact that he actually _liked _that woman. And the thought that they were actually a couple...Every time Jasmine remembered this, it was as if a dark cloud had settled over her, and nothing could make it go away. She couldn't understand it, but she knew she was jealous.

_But why?! I don't want to be with him! I mean, kissing him...that would be just weird...wouldn't it?_

Frustrated and confused, she walked absent-mindedly upstairs.

* * *

The park was busy when Jasmine and the others arrived. It was another hot summer day, and the grass was covered with people, sunbathing and chatting. Sirius immediately bounded off towards the trees, leaving the others to sit down on the grass.

Jasmine looked at her watch. She was supposed to be meeting Jason in an hour.

"Wonder what the Order meeting today is about," Harry mused, watching the white dog as it rolled playfully in the leaves at the foot of the trees.

"Well, it's not going to be interesting if _Snape's _reading a report," Ron said dully.

"He's spying on _You-Know-Who_, Ron," Hermione said. "Of course it'll be interesting."

"Hmph," Ron replied.

"Weren't Fred and George going to show them the Extendable Eyes tonight?" Jasmine asked.

"Yes," Ginny said.

"They're amazing," Ron said. "I didn't even know you could _do _stuff like that."

"They are quite impressive," Hermione admitted. "But think how volatile they are...what if You-Know-Who got his hands on one?"

"Oh, lighten up, Hermione," Ron said. His face broke into a grin. "We could use them to spy on Malfoy!"

Harry's expression brightened.

"And blackmail him!" he said excitedly. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"With what, exactly?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.

Harry shrugged.

"Plenty of stuff," he said. "His Death Eater family...his Dark Magic..."

"His antics with Pansy Parkinson," Ron sniggered.

"What?!" Jasmine asked.

Hermione sighed.

"Ron seems to think that because he is friends with that...girl..." her jaw tightened as if she longed to say something scathing about Pansy Parkinson, but was restraining herself, "it means that they're an item."

"Once again, showing how little he knows about the opposite sex," Ginny sighed. Ron looked indignant.

"Hey!" he said.

"She's right, mate," Harry said, patting his arm. Ron opened his mouth in outrage. "Remember Fleur Delacour?"

A wistful expression came over Ron's face.

"Ahh, yes," he said.

"Remember when you asked her to the ball?" Ginny said, fighting the urge to smile.

Ron's wistful expression cleared, and he looked grumpy.

"Yeah, well...I got a date in the end, didn't I?" he said irritably.

"Even if she did ignore you," Jasmine said lightly.

"She was still good-looking though," Ron said. "I could have gone with someone like Eloise Midgeon," he shuddered.

"Don't be so rude, Ron!" Hermione said crossly. "She's really nice!"

"Yeah, but, Hermione, she's hideous looking," Ron pointed out.

"So you wouldn't even get to know a girl if she wasn't Fleur Delacour standard?" Hermione asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Sounds about right," Ron said, shrugging. Hermione opened her mouth in indignation.

"You are _so..._you're such a _typical boy!_" she spluttered exasperatedly. "Superficial things are all that matter!"

"You're one to talk, you went with Viktor Krum! He could barely string a sentence together!" Ron retorted.

Jasmine could tell that Ron had gone too far. Hermione opened her mouth in outrage, staring at Ron. After a few seconds, she got up abruptly and stormed off towards the trees, leaving Ron staring after her in disbelief.

"Honestly!" he said incredulously. "She's so unreasonable!"

He was trying to shake it off, but Jasmine could see that he looked extremely uncomfortable; his cheeks were glowing red. There was an awkward silence.

"Um...I'll go and see if she's alright," Jasmine said, and walked towards the trees in search of Hermione.

She remembered the last time Hermione and Ron had had a fight like this – it was at the Yule Ball when Ron had accused Hermione of 'fraternising with the enemy'. Her and Harry had watched them, sighing, wondering if Ron would ever realize that he was actually jealous.

She found Hermione standing by a tall oak tree at the edge of the park, facing away from her.

"Hermione?" she asked tentatively. Hermione turned round, and Jasmine could see that her eyes were brimming with angry tears.

"Are you okay?" she asked. _Don't be stupid – does she look okay? _

"Yes," Hermione said, wiping her eyes furiously.

"Is it because Ron was rude about Viktor?" she asked, putting a hand on Hermione's shoulder. She shrugged.

"He's just so...so..." she clenched her fists angrily. "He's such a _boy_!" She stamped her foot. Jasmine smiled gently.

"Yes, I'd noticed," she said. "Any chance you're overreacting a bit, though, Hermione? I don't think he meant to upset you."

Hermione was silent, staring angrily at the ground.

"Come on, don't let yourself get so worked up," Jasmine said.

"He just makes me so angry!" Hermione said, frustrated.

"Yes, but don't let it ruin your day," she replied.

A voice sounded from behind them.

"Um..."

It was Ron. He was standing several metres away, staring at his feet and looking extremely uncomfortable. Hermione appeared not to have noticed him. Jasmine gestured for him to come closer.

"Hermione?" Ron asked tentatively. Hermione looked up, and her eyes narrowed.

"What do you want?" she spat angrily. Ron looked helplessly up at Jasmine, who motioned for him to continue.

"Um...Hermione...I'm...I'm sorry," he said awkwardly, blushing crimson. Hermione frowned, apparently surprised.

"I...I didn't mean it," Ron continued, looking at Hermione's left shoe. She looked extremely wrong-footed, and bit her lip awkwardly.

They stared at each other for a second, and Hermione's face relaxed slightly.

"Okay," she said uneasily, apparently touched by his apology.

"Are you mad at me?" Ron asked uncertainly, shuffling his feet. Hermione smiled weakly.

"No," she said.

"Okay," Ron said, looking relieved. His face broke into a lopsided grin. There was a pause.

"Um...Jas – " Hermione began, turning round...but she was gone.

Jasmine walked back to where Harry and Ginny were sitting, grinning satisfactorily at what she had just witnessed. She found Ginny and Harry talking animatedly, both laughing over something Harry had just said. Jasmine's smile became even wider as she sat down next to Ginny.

"Have they made up?" Harry asked. Jasmine nodded.

"Kissed and made up," she said. "Except without the kissing."

"All in good time," Ginny grinned.

* * *

Jasmine caught sight of Jason standing by the fountain and walked over to him, smiling. The others had gone home, and she had been waiting for Jason for fifteen minutes. He was leaning casually against the fountain, holding his mobile phone. Catching sight of her, he gave her a nonchalant wave.

"Hey," she said brightly as she reached him, kissing him briefly. "How are you?"

"Alright," he said. "Shall we go for a walk?"

Jasmine nodded and took his hand. They strolled through the park, past groups of people and random children. There was an awkward silence as they walked, and Jasmine was wondering what she should say to him when suddenly, he stopped abruptly by the edge of the park.

"Jas," he said, putting his hands in his pockets and turning to face her.

"Yep?" she asked.

"I've been thinking..."

Jasmine resisted the urge to make a stupid joke along the lines of "Really?!" and looked up at him. His eyes were darting around uncomfortably.

"And...I don't think we should go out anymore."

The words hit her like a slap in the face. She stared at him, unable to register what he had just said.

"What?" she asked, frowning, sure this was some kind of weird joke.

"It just isn't working for me," he said, shrugging.

Jasmine was stunned. She had never, ever expected something like this. Still thinking Jason was just joking, she took his hand.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. Jason pulled his hand away.

"No, seriously, Jas," he said.

Jasmine stared at him. He couldn't be serious, could he? There was no way...

"I don't understand," she said. "Why?"

"I don't really like you in a girlfriend way anymore," Jason said, shrugging.

He lit up a cigarette and blew smoke into her face. She resisted the urge to wave it away, feeling her throat tighten and fighting the impulse to cough. She looked blankly at him, sure that he couldn't seriously be dumping her. This was _Jason. _She'd been with him since she could remember.

"Jay, I don't..." she stammered, trying to make some sense of what was happening.

"Jas, stop being such a baby," he said. "It's not like we were anything serious. It was just sex, for crying out loud." He laughed. "Not that I didn't enjoy it, or anything, but..."

"What?!" Jasmine exclaimed incredulously, feeling numb with shock. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"Look, I have to go," Jason sighed, stubbing his cigarette out on the tree and glancing at his watch.

"Jason, please..." Jasmine began, sure that she could make him see that this was a mistake, sure that if he just listened...

"Bye, Jas," he said, turning away and starting to walk from the park.

"Jason!" Jasmine cried, tears starting to fall from her eyes. Jason continued to walk, his back to her.

"JASON!" Jasmine yelled, her voice catching in her throat. He didn't even look back. She gave an involuntarily sob and started to run after him.

"Jason, please!" she cried, as she caught up with him. Jason shook her off.

"Jas, stop it," he said, striding quickly through the park. Jasmine was aware of the fact that several people were staring at them, but she barely noticed. She needed to make Jason listen...to make him see that this was a huge mistake and that they were meant to be together...

There was a girl waiting at the fountain. She was dressed in a tiny skirt and shirt, and was smoking as she casually waved towards them. Jasmine looked from the girl, to Jason, and realization hit her. The girl raised a disdainful eyebrow at her, and Jasmine felt everything crashing down around her. With a last look at her boyfriend, she ran through the park and out of the gate. Her vision was blurred by tears, and she tore down the street, feeling as if someone had just broken her world in two.

* * *

"So, did you enjoy that?" Hestia asked Sirius as they walked out of the kitchen.

"Yeah – Snape lecturing us all on what his fellow Death Eaters have been up to...I was having the time of my life," Sirius said sarcastically.

Hestia laughed, putting an arm round him. They sat down in the empty living room.

"Well, things are about to get a lot better for you," she smiled, leaning forward and kissing him. Sirius smiled inwardly and put his arms around her, wondering how he had managed to survive a whole morning without her presence.

"Better already," he said to her, smiling. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her.

"What did you do today?" she asked him. Sirius shrugged.

"Went to the park with Harry and the others," he said. "You know, because – "

"You can't leave the house, yes," Hestia said, looking at him sympathetically. Sirius nodded.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Order business," she said. "We're having trouble getting the Dark Detectors in the Ministry to work. Ever since You-Know-Who was there, they've gone haywire."

Sirius paused thoughtfully.

"I might have a book that would help," he said, remembering an ancient volume that had once belonged to his brother.

"Really?" Hestia asked. "Could you get it?"

Sirius nodded.

"I'll be right back," he said, getting up.

He entered the hallway, where he could hear Mrs Weasley and Bill talking from the kitchen, clearing up after the meeting. He walked upstairs and was about to climb the second flight of stairs to his bedroom when he heard noises from the girls' room. Curious, he paused and walked quietly to the doorway.

Jasmine was sitting in the middle of the room, hunched over, her shoulders shaking. She was sobbing hysterically, her eyes red and tears pouring down her face. There were black lines down her cheeks and smudges around her eyes where her make up had run, and her fists were clenched as she held her head in her hands.

Sirius felt himself overcome with empathy for her, and confusion. Why was she crying? He stood by the door, transfixed, wondering if he should approach her or not.

"Sirius?"

Sirius spun round, startled. Hermione was standing on the landing holding a glass of water, frowning at him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing," Sirius said quickly. His eyes darted back to Jasmine. "What...is she..."

"She'll be fine," Hermione said.

"Okay...I was...I was just..." Sirius mumbled, walking away from the door. Hermione gave him an odd look and walked past him into the bedroom. He stood still, rooted to the spot, wondering if there was anything he could do to make Jasmine feel better.

"Sirius?"

This time it was Hestia. She was standing at the foot of the stairs, staring bemusedly at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Er..." Sirius said. "Looking for the book."

"Well, hurry up!" Hestia laughed. Sirius smiled weakly.

"Yes," he said. "Right."

And with that, he tore his eyes away from the door and made his way up the stairs to his room, unable to get the image of the crying Jasmine out of his head.

* * *

Hermione entered the girls' room a few hours later to find it empty. Puzzled, she ran upstairs to the attic.

"Is Jasmine up here?" she asked Harry. He shook his head.

"I thought she was in our room," Ginny said.

"Not any more," Hermione said. "Is she in the garden?"

"Doubt it," Ron said.

"Maybe she's in the kitchen," Fred suggested.

"She can't be! I was just in there!"

"Well maybe she's in the living room."

"She was fast asleep a few minutes ago!" Hermione protested.

Ron sighed.

"Look, Hermione, she's probably in your room and you're not looking properly," he said. Hermione gave him a warning look.

"We'll look with you," George said, getting up. Whether it was because he was actually concerned, or just because he wanted to shut Hermione up, no one could tell. They followed him downstairs to the girls' room.

"She's probably hiding under the covers," Fred said, lifting up the duvet.

"Or in the wardrobe," Ron said, opening the door and peering inside. Suddenly he jumped back and slammed the door. "Maybe not," he said quickly.

"Spiders in there, Ron?" Fred sniggered. Ron blushed.

"Shut up," he mumbled.

"Maybe she's under the bed," Hermione said, ducking down and looking.

"Er...Hermione..." came Harry's voice. She sat up sharply, nearly banging her head on the bed. "I don't think you're going to like this..."

Frowning, everyone looked to Harry. He was holding up an empty vodka bottle and staring apprehensively at Hermione.

"Oh, God..." Hermione said, closing her eyes.

"Where's she gone?!" Ginny asked.

"I heard the front door shut earlier but I thought it was Hestia leaving!" Hermione said exasperatedly. "What has she done?!"

"She's probably gone to meet someone, Hermione," Harry said in a pacifying voice.

"Or gone to that friend of hers' house."

Hermione considered. She couldn't help feeling worried.

"I should try and find her," she said.

"Hermione, she can take care of herself," Ron pointed out. "She'll just get irritated if you go after her!"

"I know, but I just wish I knew where she'd gone..." Hermione sighed.

* * *

Jasmine watched as the boy put on his jacket and got up from the ground. Pulling her skirt down, she sat up and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get rid of the leaves that were tangled in it. The trees around her rustled slightly in the cool night air, and she shivered as a chill breeze swept over her. The park was dark and empty, an open expanse of blackness.

"Well, that was fun," the boy said, brushing dirt off his trousers. Jasmine stared vaguely at him. Suddenly, a loud voice startled her.

"Mike! There you are, mate!"

She looked around, and saw a man staggering towards them. He was clutching a large bottle of vodka, which was empty. Jasmine was reminded of the bottle she had finished earlier. Unfortunately, the few sips left had not been enough to blur everything that was going on at the moment.

"Hey, Chris," Mike said. "Any left?" He gestured to the bottle.

"No," the man laughed, throwing the bottle carelessly behind him. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. After lighting it clumsily, he dropped the lighter and stumbled towards Mike.

"Wha' are you d-doing?" he asked, his speech slurred as he put a hand on Mike to steady himself.

"Bloody hell, mate, you've had a lot to drink," Mike said, laughing.

"Yeaahh," the other man, whose name was apparently Chris, said. Jasmine was about to get up and leave, when he caught sight of her.

"Who'ss this?" he asked, gesturing wildly to her. "Been busy with 'er, 'ave you?"

Mike laughed and nodded.

"Can I 'ave a go?" Chris asked, raising the bottle into the air and laughing.

"She's not mine, be my guest," Mike said, lighting up a cigarette and pulling his bike up from where he'd left it on the ground.

Jasmine scrambled to her feet as the drunken man approached her, his arms flailing as he struggled not to fall over.

"C'mere, love," he smirked, his cigarette falling out of his mouth.

Jasmine backed away, glancing around her. She felt apprehensive...this man was at least five years older than her and clearly drunk out of his mind. He was wearing a tattered grey jacket and had long, unkempt hair and a rough, unshaven face. Jasmine was about to run when suddenly he lunged at her, grabbing her and pushing her against the wall.

"Alright, darlin'?" he asked, leering at her. She could smell the alcohol and cigarettes in his breath and screwed her face up as he leaned closer to her. His grip was like a vice, and she struggled wildly, her arms pinned to the wall.

"Have fun," Mike laughed, getting onto his bike.

"Mike!" Jasmine yelled frantically, trying to free herself. The man shoved her harder against the wall, and she struggled to move her legs, trying to kick him so he'd let go.

"Oh, suddenly being picky, are we?" Mike laughed, grinning lewdly at her.

"Get off!" Jasmine yelled, desperately trying to free herself from the man's grip. He was moving his face to hers and she twisted away from him, feeling the stubble on his face scratching her cheek.

"Mike!" Jasmine shouted urgently, but he was already cycling away.

"See you later, mate!" he called, laughing.

Jasmine was suddenly scared. The man showed no signs of wanting to let her go, and she couldn't pull away from him. The rough brick wall was scratching her back and her head as she thrashed about.

"'Old still, will you?" he said, his hands moving down to her skirt. Jasmine tried to kick him, but her legs were pressed between his and the wall. She did the only thing that she could think of, and screamed as loudly as she could. The sound echoed through the night, but was cut off as the man shoved a hand over her mouth.

"Shut up," he growled, knocking her harder against the wall as he tried to undo her skirt. Her left arm was free, and she grabbed at him, dragging her nails over his face and scratching his neck wildly, attempting to make him let go of her.

"Bitch," he said gruffly, and suddenly, before Jasmine could do anything, he had grabbed her and thrown her onto the ground. She scrambled around, trying to sit up, but before she could he had grabbed her arms and pinned her against the ground, his knees against her legs so she couldn't move.

"Shut up," he said again, pulling up her skirt. Jasmine struggled violently, desperately trying to free herself. She could feel tears in her eyes as she lay terrified on the ground. The man leaned closer to her, grinning manically.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" exclaimed a voice from above her. Jasmine jerked her head upwards, and so did her attacker. She could see someone standing in a gap between the trees, a silhouette amongst the shadows.

She scrabbled around, but the man had not relaxed his grip as he looked up.

"Get off her!" the voice demanded, and the boy ran at Chris, who jumped to his feet.

He slammed Chris against the wall, holding him by the collar of his shirt, his other hand clenched in a fist.

"What the _hell _is going on here?!" he demanded angrily. Chris leered at him.

"Jus' 'avin' a bit o' fun, mate," he said, sniggering.

Without warning, the boy's fist flew into Chris' face. There was a sickening crunch, and Chris cried out in pain.

Jasmine stood, transfixed, staring at the scene before her. Tears of mingled fear and relief were pouring down her face as she watched, breathless. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

"What the 'ell was that for!?" Chris said, holding a hand to his face. Jasmine could see blood trickling from his nose.

"People like you make me sick," the boy growled, still holding Chris against the wall.

Chris struggled against the boy's grip, trying to pull away, but he held him tightly.

"You belong in jail," snarled the boy. He pulled Chris' collar tighter around his face, and leaned towards him.

"Get out," he said, releasing his hold. Chris took one look at his face and tore off through the trees, his shirt billowing out behind him.

The boy rushed to Jasmine, putting his hands on her upper arms.

"Are you all right?" he asked urgently. Jasmine stared up into his face. He had tousled blonde hair and large blue eyes, which were staring at her in concern. She tried to stop herself, but was unable to, and started to sob hysterically, overcome with relief. She had been so convinced that no one was going to help her...

"Ssh, it's okay," the boy said, putting an arm round her and leading her out of the trees into the middle of the park. Jasmine felt stupid; she didn't know why she was crying, but she couldn't stop herself.

The boy lead her to the fountain, and she sat down on the edge, taking her head in her hands and letting tears run down her face. She felt dirty and used, and ashamed of herself. It had been her own fault that that..._man_...had tried to...it had been all her fault. She felt sickened with herself...sickened with everything from the alcohol running through her body to the tiny skirt she was wearing.

She didn't know how long she cried for, but when she finally opened her eyes and looked up, she was shocked to find that the boy was still there. She had expected to him to leave...why would he stay with a sobbing wreck like her?

"Here," he said, handing her a tissue. Jasmine fought the urge to burst into tears all over again as she wiped her eyes and face. There were dark lines on the tissue from her mascara.

"What happened?" he asked her, looking into her eyes. Jasmine screwed up her eyes furiously, determined not to start crying again. _Stop being such a baby! _

"He...he...his friend left, and he wanted to...to..." she stammered, too ashamed to tell this boy that it was her fault...she had gone and slept with his friend...she hadn't run away when she had had the chance...

"Do you know him?" he asked. Jasmine shook her head.

"I was...with his friend...and he came, and..." she said, pressing the tissue against her eyes to stop herself crying again.

"It's okay," the boy said gently, putting a hand on her arm. "What's your name?"

"Jasmine," she said, sniffing and pushing her hair out of her face. "You?"

"Tom," he said. He stared at her, frowning. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen," she mumbled. He looked shocked.

"I thought you were older," he said. "You shouldn't be out here in the dark."

"Bit late to tell me that, isn't it?" she asked, snorting derisively. He laughed.

"True," he said. Jasmine smiled weakly.

"Why did you come and help me?" she asked.

"I was passing and I heard you," he said. "No sixteen year-old should have to go through something like that." He looked angry. "You should tell the police."

"No," Jasmine said firmly. She wanted to forget all about it...pretend it had never happened.

"Okay," he said resignedly. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

Jasmine stood up shakily, tugging her skirt down in an attempt to cover herself. They set off towards the gate. She felt light-headed and dazed as she walked across the grass, the night air still and cool around her. It was pitch black, the only light provided by the moon and the streetlights above.

"How old are you?" she asked Tom.

"Twenty," he said, his hands in his pockets, strolling along beside her.

"Do you live round here?"

"Yeah, down Orchard Street," he said. "Do you?"

Jasmine shook her head.

"No. But I'm staying with my friends in Grimmauld Place."

They walked down the road in silence for a few minutes. The night's events were still reeling in Jasmine's mind...it was as if she was walking along in a daze.

"Are you drunk?" Tom asked. Jasmine frowned.

"How do you – "

"You're walking all over the place," he explained. Jasmine stared down at her feet.

"A bit," she admitted, unsure of why she was telling this stranger.

They had stopped outside the gate to number 11. Jasmine knew Tom wouldn't be able to see number 12, so she'd have to pretend she lived here.

"If you don't mind me asking," Tom said. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why is a drunk sixteen year old girl wandering around London after dark?"

Jasmine stared at him, unsure of what to say.

"I...I don't know," she sighed. There was a pause.

"Look," Tom said uncertainly, "I know I don't know you...but I'm sure you're worth more than this." He stared into her eyes, and Jasmine struggled to think of something to say.

"You don't have to tell me anything, don't worry," he said. "But...here." He pulled a pen out of his pocket. "Do you still have that tissue?"

"No, I chucked it away," Jasmine said.

"Don't suppose you carry paper on you?" he asked. Jasmine smiled.

"Do you really think this skirt has any room for pockets?" she said, raising her eyebrows. Tom laughed. She thrust her hand towards him.

"Write it on my hand," she said.

"Okay." He scrawled a phone number onto her hand. "If you ever need to talk, ring me."

Jasmine nodded silently, touched by the compassion of this stranger.

"Will you be all right?" he asked. She nodded.

"Okay," he said. "I'll see you, Jasmine."

He turned away, and started to walk down the street.

"Wait!" Jasmine called. He turned back and cocked his head inquiringly.

She stared after him, wishing she could tell him how grateful she was, how relieved she had been when he had turned up, how suddenly it seemed as if she _was _worth more than this...

"Thank you," she said quietly.

* * *

Review!


	14. Splinter

**A/N: **Wow, I'm getting good at updating. Haha, seriously, I've had nothing else to do but write for weeks now, and this is the result, if you can bear to endure it. I know you're all getting impatient for some Sirius/Jasmine...IT WILL HAPPEN! Be patient! Tsk tsk. Thank you SO much to all my lovely reviewers, especially Peach - it is because of her I keep updating so quickly! Read and review PLEASE or I will cry...

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

"Morning."

Jasmine stared blearily at Hermione, who was standing in the doorway of the girls' bedroom, holding a book. She blinked, still feeling exhausted despite having slept soundly throughout the night.

"Hi," she said, sitting up and peering out of the window. "What time is it?"

"Two o'clock," Hermione said.

"In the afternoon? Already?!" She raised her eyebrows in surprise and looked around for her hairbrush.

"Where did you go last night?" Hermione asked, folding her arms. "I thought you were asleep."

Jasmine bit her lip.

"Erm...I went out," she said, recalling vividly the events of the previous night and feeling slightly sick.

"Where?" Hermione pressed, frowning.

"Out!" Jasmine said, getting out of bed and making her way to the bathroom.

"Jasmine," Hermione said sternly.

"What?!" she asked impatiently as she splashed her face with water.

"We found the bottle under your pillow," Hermione said coolly. Jasmine closed her eyes, sighing.

"So?" she asked. She didn't want to be having this conversation.

"So!" Hermione exclaimed exasperatedly. "What were you doing drinking and going out?!"

Jasmine clenched her fists and tried hard not to lash out at Hermione. She didn't need a lecture. She hated the disapproving look Hermione always gave her...she had no idea. If Hermione had been in the situation _she _had been in last night, Jasmine highly doubted she would want telling off.

"Leave it, Hermione," she said, drying her face.

"No!" Hermione said. "What is wrong with you lately?!"

"Nothing," Jasmine snapped, pushing past Hermione onto the landing.

"Stop being so horrible!" Hermione said. "You're being completely unreasonable!"

Jasmine spun round angrily.

"_I'm _being unreasonable?! You're the one giving me a bloody lecture when you have no right!" she said hotly.

"Because I'm worried about you!" Hermione said. Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"Please, Hermione. If you were worried about me, you wouldn't be giving me a hard time."

"Someone has to!" she said. "You're going completely out of control!"

"That's complete rubbish," Jasmine snapped.

"What is your problem?!" Hermione said exasperatedly.

"You!" Jasmine said irritably, and stormed downstairs.

She didn't want to spend another second talking to Hermione. Sure, Hermione was her best friend, but it was shocking how little she understood her. _She has no idea...if she knew everything that was going on..._She had no right to lecture her like that, it was none of her business!

Fuming, she pushed open the kitchen door. The kitchen was empty except for Mrs Weasley, who had her head buried in the larder. Jasmine rushed past her into the garden, not wanting to be bothered with inquiries to how she was feeling and if she wanted breakfast.

It was hot outside, and the sun was shining. Everyone was sitting on deck chairs or on the lawn, sunbathing. She caught sight of Harry, Ginny and Ron sitting under one of the large lime trees in the garden and approached them, the dewy grass cold and damp beneath her bare feet.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey," Harry greeted her. "Just got up?"

She nodded, sitting down.

"Where were you last night?" Ginny asked. Crookshanks was sitting in her lap and she was stroking him absent-mindedly.

Jasmine groaned inwardly. _Not again...why can't they just leave me alone?!_

"Out," she mumbled noncommittally.

"Where did you – "

"Just leave it, Ginny, okay?" she sighed, closing her eyes and realizing that maybe coming downstairs had not been such a good idea. She saw Ginny and Harry glance at each other apprehensively, and this only irritated her more.

"Stop..._doing _that!" she said irritably. "If you have a problem with me, just tell me!"

They stared at her, bewildered.

"What?!" Ron said. "Jas, we just wanted to know where you were."

"Yeah, well it doesn't matter!" she said hotly.

Ginny gave her a reasoning sort of look.

"Jas," she said calmly. "We're just worried about you!"

"Whatever," Jasmine snapped, getting up abruptly and walking away, intending to storm up to her room and stay there.

* * *

Jasmine was forced downstairs for lunch, and it was probably the most awkward experience of her life. She didn't speak to Hermione, Harry, Ron or Ginny, and had to attempt to smile at Fred and George's jokes while Hermione eyed her disapprovingly and Ginny kept sighing. It irritated her, and she nearly stormed out of lunch, but didn't want to embarrass herself further.

She was just so sick of being told what to do. What business was it of Hermione's or Ginny's where she went? What right did they have to lecture her, and pry into her life? If she had wanted to tell them, she would have done – couldn't they accept that? She hated the way Hermione always looked so disappointed in her, as if she was doing something wrong. _Well, you haven't_, she told herself. _So stop worrying. _Why did she never seem to be good enough for anyone?

She didn't bother trying to reconcile with Hermione after lunch, and instead went to the living room to try and find some peace and quiet, away from Fred and George's excited prattling about the success of the Extendable Eyes; apparently the Order had been impressed. Jasmine found it hard to be interested at that moment, and curled up on the sofa, looking out of the window at the sunny street outside. After several minutes, her thoughts were interrupted as the door opened and Sirius entered the room.

"Oh...hello," he said. Jasmine mumbled something inaudible and closed her eyes. Sirius stood in the doorway for a second, hesitating, and then sat down on the adjacent sofa.

"Tired?" he asked, in an attempt to make conversation. Jasmine grunted. "Have you fallen out with Hermione?"

She sat up and looked at him, frowning.

"How did you know about that?" she asked. Sirius shrugged.

"Well, you two aren't talking, and you didn't look too happy with her at lunch."

Jasmine groaned and rubbed her eyes.

"She's being irritating," she said.

"How so?"

Jasmine sighed.

"She just...I don't know. I think – oh..."

Jasmine suddenly stared out of the window, surprise written all over her face, stopping in mid-sentence. Sirius followed her gaze, and saw a boy walking down the street, his arm around a blonde girl. The face looked vaguely familiar. He stared at Jasmine's shocked expression, and suddenly put two and two together. It was her boyfriend. And another girl.

Jasmine stared at Jason, strolling casually down the street with the girl she had seen at the fountain the other day. She felt an unpleasant jolt in her stomach and watched as they passed by the window. When they had gone, she continued to stare, hurt by what she had just seen.

_That stupid blonde slag..._she thought bitterly. _With _my _boyfriend. _Involuntarily, tears began to well up in her eyes. She remembered what Jason had said a few days before, and how she had run after him, screaming his name and begging him to reconsider. And now she realized she had meant nothing to him.

She threw the cushion she was holding angrily across the room, and got up from the sofa. Without bothering to say anything to Sirius, she pulled open the door and left the room, slamming it behind her. Feeling tears start to run down her cheeks, she ran up the stairs and into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

As soon as she was safe and alone, she let herself cry. She sat on the edge of the bath, refusing to let herself look in the mirror. Letting out a cry of hurt and frustration, she wrenched a tissue from the cupboard and threw the empty box into the bath.

What was wrong with everyone? Did she really deserve all this? Her head hurt and her arms still ached from the night before, when she had tried to free herself from the man in the park. She remembered Tom, and what he had said to her.

"_Look, I know I don't know you...but I'm sure you're worth more than this."_

_Yeah, right_, she thought bitterly. _Look at me! I'm an idiot! I don't even have any friends anymore!_

Holding her head in her hands, she closed her eyes and wished she was anywhere but Grimmauld Place. She half-expected to see something other than the dingy, grey bathroom walls when she opened them, but was sorely disappointed.

_If only you could see me now, Tom, _she thought resentfully. _Precious little Jasmine with no boyfriend and no friends. _She lay down in the empty bath and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the fact that the tap was digging into her neck. The world seemed to fade away as she drifted into sleep, finally able to forget about everything and get some peace.

* * *

Jasmine was awoken by a piercing pain in her neck. She sat up sharply and remembered that she was in the bathroom. Rubbing her neck absent-mindedly, she hauled herself out of the bath and staggered to the door, feeling dizzy as blood rushed to her head. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, she was overcome with the desire to go straight back to the bath and never leave, but sighed and shook it off. She glanced at the window, and was surprised to see that the sky outside was pitch black. She must have slept throughout the day. Her throat was unpleasantly dry, and she picked up a random glass from by the sink and filled it with water, taking a sip. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she saw that it was already half past ten. Groaning, she opened the bathroom door.

Jasmine walked downstairs, and felt an unpleasant jolt as she saw Sirius and Hestia about to enter the living room. Sirius has his arm around Hestia and they were gazing at each other adoringly. She rolled her eyes inwardly.

"Hello, Jasmine," Sirius said pleasantly. Jasmine nodded at him.

Hestia looked at Jasmine, raising an eyebrow.

"Not wearing your usual outfit, then?" she asked. Jasmine scowled at her.

"What outfit?" she asked, looking down at her jeans and sweater, perplexed.

"You know...the tiny top and belt." She smirked at Jasmine, who frowned.

"Belt?"

"Yes, the belt you wear instead of a skirt," she said, laughing. Jasmine stared at her.

"Are you trying to be funny?" she asked coldly.

"Nope," Hestia said breezily. "Just wondering why you're not dressed like a prostitute..." She muttered this into Sirius' ear, sniggering.

Jasmine gaped at her, stunned. She had never thought Hestia would actually have the guts to insult her outright. Aghast, she turned on her.

"_Excuse _me?!" she exclaimed, outraged, her hands on her hips.

"Nothing..." Hestia said, still smirking. "Come on," she said to Sirius, about to usher him into the living room.

"I don't think so!" Jasmine said, grabbing Hestia's arm and turning her back around. "What did you just say?"

Hestia looked momentarily surprised, and then arched a disdainful eyebrow.

"Nothing, you silly girl," she said scornfully. Sirius was standing in the doorway, looking uncomfortable. Jasmine stared at Hestia, wanting nothing more than to grab her and slap her.

"Shut up!" she said hotly.

"Oh, that's mature," Hestia sneered, her upper lip curled.

Jasmine felt her anger rising as she surveyed the woman before her. She wanted to yell at Hestia, to hit her and scream that she hated her and that she couldn't stand the sight of her.

"What the hell is your problem, you stupid bitch?!" Jasmine said angrily, losing her temper. She knew she was but she didn't care – since when were the consequences going to matter anyway?

Hestia looked scandalised. Sirius' eyes darted from her to Jasmine, as if he was unsure of what to do.

"How dare you!" Hestia said, outraged. "You're nothing but a little worthless _child_!"

Jasmine nearly dropped the glass in her hand. She stared at Hestia for a second, her mouth agape in outrage, and then lunged at her.

"You _bitch_!" she screamed, slapping her across the face and clawing angrily at her hair and neck, wanting to hit her until she was unconscious and would never bother her again. She hated everything about this woman; her cold sneer, her cruel comments, the fact that she had Sirius...She threw the glass of water in her hand over Hestia. "I – HATE – "

"Jasmine!" Sirius shouted, grabbing her and pulling her off Hestia. He looked shocked as he restrained her. She flailed her arms about desperately, trying to reach Hestia so she could show her exactly how much she hated her. Everything about her she abhorred, from her stupid lank black hair to her sickening pink robes. Her face had never brought anything but misery and anger to Jasmine, and she hated it more than anything. Hestia was standing, looking livid, holding a hand up to her face.

"Get – off – me!" Jasmine said, struggling wildly to free herself from Sirius' grip. She was suddenly reminded of how she had struggled the previous night in the park, and felt cold as the memories came flooding back. Tears began to well up in her eyes but she blinked them away.

"How _dare _you!" Hestia screeched.

"FUCK – YOU!" Jasmine yelled, wrenching herself out of Sirius' grasp and standing in front of Hestia, staring furiously at her, her face contorted in anger and fury, her hands balled into fists.

"Get out of here, you disgusting little slut!" Hestia said. "You're an embarrassment to everyone!"

Jasmine's mouth dropped open, as she gaped at Hestia, astounded. Her words seemed to echo through the air, deafening and shrill. Tears were clouding Jasmine's vision but she refused to let them fall. She stared at Sirius, who was standing, looking from her to Hestia, shocked and stunned. There was a pause; a loaded silence hung in the air as Jasmine waited for Sirius to speak. He, however, was stepping back into the living room. Jasmine gawped at him.

"Aren't you going to say anything?!" she asked in indignant disbelief. Sirius seemed to struggle to find words. Wasn't he going to stand up for her?! Was he just going to let that _hag _insult her?!

"Jasmine, I think you'd better just go," he said uncomfortably, putting an arm on Hestia's shoulder.

Jasmine gaped at him open-mouthed.

"You're just going to let her say that?!" she screeched in disbelief.

"Jasmine, please calm down. I think you should go to bed," Sirius said firmly, running a hand through his hair. He gave her one last uncertain glance before turning away.

Jasmine couldn't believe it. He had shut the living room door behind him and Hestia. Hot anger was taking over her; she felt nothing but pure rage as she stared at the blank door.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" she yelled. Violent fury spinning through her brain, she hurled the empty glass in her hand at the door with all the energy she had. It smashed against the wood, shards of glass flying everywhere. She grabbed a candlestick from the hall table and flung it at the door. It made a loud crash, and left a huge black dent in the middle of the whiteness. Her mind reeling with hatred and anger, Jasmine picked up the mirror from the table and smashed it against the bare wood, longing to make some kind of mark, to ruin it. It shattered everywhere, the crash doing nothing to calm Jasmine, only heightening her anger. She could feel adrenaline pounding through her veins as she saw red, and grabbed a large porcelain vase from the table. Without even registering what it was, she threw it at the door with such force that pieces of china flew back at her as it splintered.

"I HATE YOU!" she yelled, grabbing another china ornament and flinging it at the door with all the strength she could muster. "I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU! YOU FUCKING FUCKING WHORE!"

"Jasmine!" came a shocked voice from the end of the hall.

She was vaguely aware of several people standing in the kitchen doorway, staring in horror at her, but she didn't care. She ignored them.

Unable to think straight, blinded by her anger and her pain, she slammed her shoulder into the door, clawing at it with her hands, hearing her nails break as she crushed them against the wood. Nothing mattered...all she could think of were Hestia's words, which echoed tauntingly in her mind, her sneer imprinted in red across Jasmine's eyes, and Sirius as he had stuck up for her...

It was as if every shred of anger she had felt over the last few days was bubbling up inside her. The hall was so sickeningly silent and serene that it made her feel dizzy, as if even the walls around her should have been screaming in fury as she was, as if there should have been deafening sounds all around her. She felt as if the room was closing in around her, trapping her inside her own head, surrounding her with her own fury and rage. All the anger she had ever felt in her life was pulsing through her veins like a drug, as horrible memories flashed through her mind...the man in the park...Sirius and Hestia...Hermione shouting at her...seeing Jason with another girl...

She would have liked nothing more than to pick up everything in sight and fling it into the door or at Sirius and Hestia, but felt as if she might just explode with anger if she did. Unable to think of anything else to do, she wrenched open the front door and strode out into the street, slamming it so hard that the house shook. The night air was cold compared to the heat inside the house, but she didn't even notice.

"I HATE YOU!" she screamed at the front door, smashing her fist into it as hard as she could. The pain shot up her arm, but it felt good; it melted into the anger that was coursing through her, the fury that had overcome her. Again and again she crashed her fists into the door, wishing it would splinter and break beneath them.

"I - HATE - YOU!" she yelled again, hearing her voice echo throughout the night, deafening compared to the dark silence. She dragged her nails across her own arms, clawing at her flesh, wishing she could tear it away, make herself nothing, become as worthless as she felt. Angry red scratches appeared across her arms and she continued, scraping at her skin, wanting to lose herself in the pain. She clenched her fists around thin air, and cried out into the night, screaming until she was hoarse, running down the front path.

Standing alone in the middle of the darkness, she heard her own screams echo and fell down to her knees in the centre of the road. The gravel dug into her skin, but she didn't care.

Alone in the middle of the street, and alone in the middle of her own world, Jasmine broke down and cried. Hot tears poured from her eyes, and her body shook as she sobbed and cried out, half screaming, half howling in pain and fury. Every inch of her was dirty and tainted...she felt used and betrayed, a meaningless object. She wanted nothing more than to die, to disappear at this moment, to become the nothing she felt she was.

She felt herself break as she cried her heart out in the road, aching as she shook and trembled with pain. But unlike in all the dreams and films she had seen, there was no one there to take her in their arms and let her cry out all her frustration, and convince her that everything would be all right. She was completely and utterly alone.

* * *

Review!


	15. Tears

**A/N: **Chapter 15 is here! 16 may be a while cause I haven't got round to writing it yet and I'm feeling lazy...Thanks so much to all my lovely lovely reviewers, keep on reviewing cause you make me happy! Hehe. Especially **katriana soulless**** – **your review made my day! But you should be concentrating in school!!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

Jasmine looked back at 12 Grimmauld Place. The living room was illuminated through the curtains, but the rest of the house was dark. She stared at the house for a second, and then voices jolted her to her senses.

They were in the hallway. They were going to come out and get her, try and reason with her, probably shout at her and ask her what the hell was wrong with her. Jasmine panicked; she couldn't go back in there. She wouldn't go back in there and be with people who mocked her, who thought her unstable or immature.

With one last glance at the house, Jasmine fled down the road. The dark usually scared her, but she was too angry and upset to care. Her legs seemed to carry her without her moving them, and the wind hissed in her ears and blew her hair out behind her as she tore through the streets of London, wanting to get as far away from Grimmauld Place as possible.

She came to a stop outside the park, doubling over and gasping for breath. There was a sharp pain in her side, and she stumbled through the gate into the deserted grassy expanse. The trees were rustling loudly in the wind, and Jasmine felt oddly exposed as she stood in the middle of the park, the night thick and black around her.

Picking up her feet, she sprinted towards the tallest tree at the side of the park and collapsed underneath it. The ground was damp and littered with leaves and dirt, but she didn't care. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she rested her chin on her hands and closed her eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her anger was fading away now; all she felt was hurt and pain. Her hands were cut and bleeding from where she had smashed them against the front door, and her legs were aching from running. She felt broken and hopeless as she sat underneath the oak tree; she couldn't remember ever crying this much.

Several minutes passed, and Jasmine was starting to calm down. It was as if she had run out of tears to cry. She leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes, the cool breeze chilling her tear-stained face. The stillness around her was calming and peaceful. She knew she would have to sleep here tonight; there was no way she would return to Grimmauld Place. She wouldn't let Hestia and Sirius win. The dark, deserted park was disquieting and scared her, but she pushed her fears to the back of her mind as she lay down at the foot of the tree. Listening to the rustling of the leaves, she closed her eyes and tried to lull herself to sleep. It was unnerving, being on her own in the darkness, but it was better than what she would have to face at home.

_Home?! _She snorted. _Since when has Grimmauld Place been home?! It's practically a prison._

"Oi, Jasmine!"

She sat bolt upright and stared around for the source of the voice.

"Yes?!" she called anxiously, trembling from the shock of hearing her name in the silence, adrenaline rushing through her. She was unable to see anything through the dark intertwining branches of the trees, tangled around her like gnarled black fingers. A rustling noise to her left caused her to jump up, and she watched as someone appeared through a gap in the branches. It was Matt.

"Oh," she sighed, relieved. "It's you."

"Hey," he said, grinning at her. "What are you up to?"

Jasmine hastily wiped her face, hoping she didn't have streaks of mascara down her cheeks.

"Um...nothing," she mumbled, uncomfortably aware of the fact that there were still tears in her eyes.

"I haven't seen you for a while," he said, smiling. "Come here."

He held out his arms to her. Jasmine didn't understand why suddenly he cared how she was feeling...but she could use a hug. However, as soon as he moved his lips down to hers, she realized what he wanted.

_Oh, great, _she thought, feeling an overwhelming urge to burst into tears all over again. _Stop it! _

She stumbled backwards as Matt pushed her against the wall, kissing her fiercely. She was finding it hard to breathe with his mouth crushed against hers, but didn't care. It was an odd sensation...as if she was no longer in her own body anymore, but drifting somewhere, all of her thoughts forgotten. It was practically routine for her now, what she was doing. She forgot about Sirius, Hestia and everything, and let herself fall into the familiar habit.

_Stop being such a baby, _she reprimanded herself. _This is just part of your life. It's what you do. _

* * *

Sirius paced the living room restlessly, thoughts reeling in his mind. He could hear anxious voices talking in the hallway, but couldn't focus on them. He kept picturing what had happened in his mind. Jasmine yelling at Hestia...the hurt in her eyes when he hadn't stuck up for her. The last time he had seen that look, she had been talking about her boyfriend. And he again had been the cause of it.

He had never realized just how much of a temper she had. He had winced as the vases and mirror from the hall had smashed against the door. It wasn't the damage that bothered him, but the fact that Jasmine's hatred was directed at him. It was his fault. Running a hand across his forehead, he tried to listen to what was going on in the hall.

"_Stop saying that!_" Hermione was saying impatiently. "This isn't just some stupid joke of hers, you saw her!"

"Hermione's right, she's gone crazy!" Ginny exclaimed seriously.

"I understand you're upset, girls," Hestia said calmly, "but – "

"_No!_" Hermione and Ginny said hotly. "She could be anywhere!"

"Exactly, which is why it's pointless – "

"She's our best friend!" Ron said. "We have to look for her!"

"Ron, please," Mrs Weasley said in a reproving voice.

Sirius slammed his fist down on the mantelpiece. He couldn't bear to listen to them squabbling any longer. Completely at a loss, he clenched his fists and tried to think. Where the hell had that girl gone?! He felt sick with dread as he thought of her wandering around Muggle London alone at night, angry and naïve. He doubted she'd have her wand with her.

Sirius remembered the way she'd screamed and the anger in her voice. What if she did something stupid?! He felt as if a lead weight had dropped into his stomach as he wracked his brains helplessly, desperate for any kind of idea as to where Jasmine might be. Once again, the fury and hurt in her eyes flashed across his mind, and suddenly he started.

_That's it! _he thought triumphantly, marvelling at his own brilliance. He wrenched open the living room door and hurried past the crowd in the hall.

"Sirius, where – " Mrs Weasley began, but he was already at the top of the stairs. He sprinted up to the attic, which fortunately was empty. Standing in the doorway, he stared around frantically, his gaze eventually coming to rest on a white box which was lying on the bed, the lid half off. _Excellent. _

He rushed across and pulled the lid off the box. Grabbing the Extendable Eye, he held it close to his face. His heart pounding in his chest, breathless, he spoke into it.

"Ja – Jasmine Reynolds," he said.

As he peered at the circle in the middle of the disc, a picture swam into view, fuzzy at first but then becoming clearer. Sirius frowned, sure he must be mistaking something, but then as the picture sharpened, he stared at it open-mouthed.

Jasmine was standing against the wall, being crushed against it by a tall, dark haired boy. He was kissing her with such intensity that it looked as if she could barely breathe. His hands were fumbling with the zip of her jeans.

Sirius threw the disc across the room in shock. He stood, staring blankly at it for a few seconds, and then pulled open the door, dashing down the stairs. _What the hell is she doing?! _Shock and disgust were running through his mind as he ran past the crowd in the hall.

"I'll – get her," he called breathlessly to them.

"But, Sirius! You're not supposed – "

He ignored Hermione's cry and slammed the front door, running along the road into the night.

* * *

Jasmine fought the urge to recoil as Matt stuck his tongue down her throat. His hands were like ice, and the wall against her back was cold and damp. She shivered, wishing she had thought to bring a coat with her.

"You alright?" Matt asked her, pulling away for a second. Jasmine took advantage of the opportunity to catch her breath, but before she could, Matt had shoved his tongue in her mouth again. Wincing, she put a hand on his neck. He was pulling down her jeans roughly, and she shivered again, more out of apprehension than coldness.

Suddenly, before things could go any further, Jasmine heard something move in the trees next to her. She pulled away from Matt and stared around wide-eyed. What happened next made her blood run cold.

A huge, shaggy black dog charged through the trees, barking deafeningly, teeth bared. Jasmine recognized it at once, and a cold feeling of dread filled her stomach. _Had he seen her and Matt?!_

This question was answered for her as the dog leapt at Matt, snarling and clashing its teeth. Matt stumbled, taken by surprise. The dog clawed at him, barking and growling ferociously.

"Help!" Matt cried to Jasmine as he lay helpless on the floor. She stood transfixed against the wall, no idea what to do.

Suddenly, the dog let out a howl of pain. Matt had kicked it in order to free himself, and he scrambled up from the ground, staring in terror at the mass of fur and teeth before him. With one last look at Jasmine, he ran off into the trees, his trousers falling down his waist. In any other situation, the sight would have amused Jasmine, but not now. There was nothing remotely funny about what was about to happen. She considered running, but knew it would do no good. Instead, she watched as the dog morphed into the human form of Sirius, standing before her, his face screwed up in anger.

"What the _hell _do you think you're doing?!" he asked furiously. Jasmine could see he was slightly doubled over, clearly having been winded as Matt kicked him. She stared at him defiantly.

"_Me?!_" she asked incredulously. "What do you think _you're _doing, following me?!"

"Trying to get you to stop behaving so ridiculously!" Sirius said hotly. "Everyone's worried about you!"

Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"Oh, sure," she drawled sardonically. "Everyone's _so _worried."

"What?" Sirius asked.

"You _really _don't get it, do you?" Jasmine asked, throwing her hands up in despair.

"Get what?!" Sirius said loudly.

"Anything!" Jasmine said. "Everyone's always _worried. _They're always looking out for _me," _she snorted contemptuously."But when it comes to a time when I actually need them, no one's there! Why the hell do you think I want to get out of that fucking house? I can't stand being around people who know _so little_ about me!"

There was a pause, then Sirius shook his head.

"Jasmine, you're being ridiculous. If – "

"STOP – SAYING – THAT!" Jasmine yelled. "What the hell gives you the right to tell me _anything _about myself?! You're the one who's a pathetic coward, but do I ever tell you that?!"

She glared furiously at him, wishing he could just disappear and leave her in peace.

"What do you mean, I'm a coward?!" he asked indignantly. "You don't even know me!"

Jasmine snorted.

"Oh, yeah, that's right, you're _really _brave," she said sarcastically. "Yeah, by the way, thanks for sticking up for me in front of that fucking _bitch_ of yours!"

Sirius looked down at the ground. Jasmine could feel herself about to cry again, and clenched her teeth. She was _not _going to look weak in front of him.

"I wish you wouldn't talk about Hestia that way," he said sadly.

"Oh, don't even bother," Jasmine said, her eyes narrowed. _Yeah. Like that stupid self pity is going to work. _"Sorry, I should have remembered – perfect, precious Hestia. Can't have anyone insulting her. Even when she calls you a worthless..._slag..._you can't..."

Jasmine's voice caught in the back of her throat as she recalled what Hestia had said, and she let out an involuntary sob. Furious at herself, she spun around so Sirius wouldn't see her. Tears were falling down her face and she tried to stop them, but to no avail.

"I...I admit she was out of order," Sirius said quietly.

"What?!" Jasmine asked in amazement, spinning round and immediately regretting it. She turned away again.

"She...she shouldn't have said that," Sirius admitted. Jasmine frowned. Was he making fun of her? Losing her temper again, she turned on him.

"So you thought she was wrong all this time?!" she asked incredulously, her face screwed up in anger. "And you still stuck up for her?! You...you...I HATE YOU!"

She ran at him and lashed out, hitting him as hard as she could, wanting to show him just how much she hated him, how much misery he had caused her.

"YOU...YOU..." she shouted, hammering her fists against his chest.

"Jasmine, please!" Sirius said, pulling her off him. "What is wrong with you?!"

"ME?!" Jasmine shrieked. "What is wrong with _you?!" _

He held her by the wrists, glaring at her, astounded.

"You're the one who can't even stand up for himself!" Jasmine yelled. "You're the one who follows that _bitch _around day and night, doing whatever – "

"Right, that's enough!" Sirius shouted angrily, pushing Jasmine away from him. "I will _not _have you talking to me like this!"

Jasmine stared up at him, at his face, contorted with anger, and felt tears come into her eyes again. She turned around so she didn't have to look at him. She couldn't believe he was still being like this. Didn't he care?

"Look, I'm sorry that you feel this way about Hestia," Sirius said testily, "but there's nothing I can do."

"Whatever," Jasmine snapped, trying to hold back her tears.

"Please, Jasmine, stop being so immature," Sirius sighed. At these words, Jasmine could stand it no longer and let the tears run down her cheeks. She inhaled sharply and prayed Sirius wouldn't hear her...he would think she was an idiot if she cried...

Everything was just getting too much for her. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but the fact that Sirius was angry with her hurt. She hated the fact that he thought she was immature, the way he spoke to her as if she didn't have feelings. She stared miserably at the trees in front of her, letting her tears fall, unable to think of a single happy thought. Every good thing in her life seemed to have dissolved into nothing.

"Right. Come on then," Sirius said brusquely. Frowning, she turned around to see Sirius walking briskly across the grass. He looked round and raised his eyebrows expectantly. Jasmine hesitated, and then followed him. She felt light headed, and her body ached from the aftershocks of her anger. She didn't even know why she was following him, but her brief tryst with Matt had woken her up to the fact that she wouldn't be safe alone in the park at night. At least when she got back to number 12 she could just run into her room and lock the door.

"Hurry up," Sirius said as they turned into the road. "Everyone will be wondering where you are."

Jasmine walked several metres behind him. She tried to stop crying, but as soon as she closed her eyes, memories of the last few days came rushing back to her, and she wanted nothing more than to disappear, to dissolve into nothing.

She watched as Sirius strode along the street in front of her, his dark hair rippling in the breeze. As she gazed at him, she felt a sharp ache inside her. He was so near her, yet they might have been miles apart. Jasmine had always looked up to him, respected him, and now here he was proving that he didn't care at all about her. He saw her as nothing more than an irritation. Her breath caught in her throat as she let out a sob, and she hung her head, letting her hair hide her face. How could he do this? How could he not care about her at all, after all the time she had spent thinking about him?

They had turned the corner into Grimmauld Place, and Sirius hadn't looked back at her once. Jasmine closed her eyes and clenched her fist bitterly as they approached the front door of number 12. Sirius unlocked it, and stepped inside. Jasmine hesitated at the bottom of the path. The last thing she wanted was to have to face anyone inside. However, she knew that she would have to return some time. Reluctantly, she entered the house, and Sirius shut the door behind her. She felt like a naughty child who was being given the silent treatment, and the thought infuriated her.

"The others are probably upstairs waiting for you," Sirius said shortly, throwing his coat across the banister. "You should get some sleep."

And without a further look at her, he strode into the kitchen and closed the door behind him.

Jasmine burst into angry tears, staring in disbelief and hurt at the door. He hadn't even _looked _at her. Then a thought hit her that made anger flood through her. Hestia was probably in the kitchen waiting for him. They would probably laugh and call her names and talk about how immature and stupid she was.

Jasmine stormed upstairs, not bothering to be quiet. She flung open the door of the girls' bedroom. It was dimly lit, and Hermione and Ginny were sitting in bed, reading. They jumped and sat up in surprise when Jasmine entered. She strode over to her bed and grabbed her pillow and duvet.

"Jasmi – " Hermione began, but Jasmine walked quickly out of the room without looking at her. She entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and locking it. Throwing her pillow and duvet into the bath, she climbed in and covered herself up.

She lay there for a few moments, staring blankly at the ceiling. Then, for the first time since Sirius had found her, she let herself cry properly. Her body shook and trembled as she sobbed, her fists clenched around the pillow, her eyes screwed up against the hot tears that were soaking the duvet. She felt hopeless and alone, worthless to everyone around her. A misled, insignificant fool.

* * *

Sirius ran his fingers through his hair as he sat down at the kitchen table. Hestia was sipping from a cup of coffee, and she gestured to one that sat untouched before him.

"Thanks," he said gratefully, taking the cup in his hands.

"What happened?" Hestia asked. The kitchen was silent and lit by a few candles, but the effect did not calm Sirius at all.

"Oh," he sighed, "she got worked up, and said...some things."

Hestia raised an eyebrow.

"Such as?" she asked.

Sirius remembered what Jasmine had said about him, and about Hestia. He remembered the look of anger and hurt in her eyes as she accused him of being a pathetic coward, and not standing up for her. As much as he tried to forget it, he couldn't. She was right – he _hadn't _stuck up for her. Even though Hestia _had _been unreasonable. But what could he have done?! Hestia was his girlfriend, and Jasmine was his godson's friend!

"Nothing really," he said, shaking his head. Hestia, however, was peering at him inquiringly.

"She insulted you, didn't she?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.

"No," Sirius said, a little too quickly. Hestia stood up sharply.

"She did, didn't she?!" she asked incredulously. "Why, that arrogant, _rude _little – "

"It's not her fault!" Sirius said sharply, standing up from the table. Hestia looked surprised.

"What?!" she asked.

"Look, Hestia, that girl has been through more than we know," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I think it would be best if – "

"Sirius, what are you talking about?" Hestia asked irritably. "That girl insulted me, _and _you, and now you're standing up for her?!"

"Hestia, just leave it!" Sirius exclaimed angrily.

He looked at her surprised, annoyed expression and knew he shouldn't have snapped at her. But something about the evening's events had had a very peculiar effect on him, and he was struggling to get the image of the sobbing, angry Jasmine out of his head. A part of him felt angry with her for insulting him, but the other part was worried for her. He dreaded to think what might have happened in the park if he hadn't arrived in time...surely she hadn't been planning to stay there all night?

He felt weary and exhausted, partly from running after Jasmine, and partly because thoughts where spinning through his head so fast that he had no idea what to think. Confusion was settling over him like a blanket, and the more he tried to understand, the more bemused he became.

Hestia was still looking at him, and he pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind.

"I'm sorry," he said to her. "I'm tired, and..."

He put a hand on her shoulder, and she nodded understandingly.

"You haven't been yourself for the past few days," she said, wrapping an arm around his waist.

Sirius shrugged, staring into space. Normally he would have let all his thoughts drift away and forget everything except Hestia, but he couldn't. He was unable to take his mind off Jasmine. Thoroughly perplexed, he sat down again, gazing blankly at the table. There was a nagging thought in the back of his mind, but he pushed it away.

_You're just tired, _he told himself furiously. _You're imagining it..._

* * *

Yay! Review! Review NOW!!!


	16. Light

**A/N: **Finally, I stopped being lazy and got round to writing. However, school starts tomorrow so things will probably be a lot slower, sorry about that. Hope you like this chapter, and thanks to everyone for reviewing and being so patient, especially Peach and Evra! Please read and review :) Thank you!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

Jasmine's unhappy dreams were interrupted the next morning by a repetitive, loud knocking on the bathroom door. It jolted her sharply out of sleep, and she sat bolt upright, startled. Blood rushed from her head, and she felt dizziness overcome her. It took her a few seconds to register what was going on, but then she covered her eyes, wishing everything would go away and she could go back to sleep.

"Jasmine?"

She recognized Hermione's voice, and sighed.

"Yes?" she asked wearily.

"Open the door."

Hermione sounded oddly stern. She contemplated remaining in the bath for a minute, but knew that Hermione would only keep knocking. After nearly slipping over in the bath, she clambered out.

"Jasmine!" Hermione said sharply, as Jasmine fumbled with the lock on the door. "If you don't open – oh."

She looked slightly surprised – evidently she had not been expected Jasmine to open the door.

"Can I come in?"

Jasmine shrugged.

"It's not exactly my bathroom," she said, turning and sitting on the edge of the bath, and catching sight of her pale, bedraggled reflection in the mirror.

Hermione shut the door and sat down next to her.

"Jas," she said, without preamble. "Please tell me why you've been acting like this."

"Look, Hermione – "

"No, I don't want to leave it!" Hermione said angrily. "I've had enough of you behaving like this!"

Jasmine was taken aback. She frowned.

"Like what?"

"Being so _selfish!_" Hermione said. She rubbed her forehead, sighing wearily. "Look, Jas, I know you're upset, I know you're going through a lot, but that's no excuse to keep yelling at us every time we try to help!"

Jasmine didn't know what to say. She bit her lip.

"I'm sorry," she said feebly, almost automatically.

"I don't want to hear that you're sorry!" Hermione said. "I want to help you! Everyone is worried about you – "

"Sirius and Hestia aren't," Jasmine said bitterly. Hermione ignored her.

"– especially Harry, Ron and I. One minute you're fine, then the next you just go crazy and start shouting and throwing things!"

"It's not my – "

"Yes it is your fault!" Hermione said exasperatedly. "Just because you can't control your anger, it doesn't mean you have to take it out on us!"

Jasmine knew she was right. She didn't want to admit it, though, and stared at the floor.

"Jas, you need help," Hermione said softly. "You can't just keep saying everything's okay."

Jasmine said nothing.

"Why won't you tell us what's wrong?"

There it was. The question she'd known was coming, but had been dreading. _Yeah, like I can tell you that I think I'm obsessed with Sirius and I'm so jealous of his stupid bitch that I want to punch her every time I see her! _She shook her head.

"I don't know," she said quietly.

"If you'd just talk to us..." Hermione pressed.

"I know, Hermione. It's just not that easy, okay?"

_Oh, shut up. You sound pathetic...stop feeling sorry for yourself. She's your best friend, for god's sake!_

"Okay," Hermione sighed, and stood up.

"Wait," Jasmine said. "Um..." she looked awkwardly at the floor again. "I'm sorry."

There. She had said it. She had finally shelved her pride and admitted that she was being a moody bitch.

Hermione's face broke into a small smile. She sat down again.

"I understand if you don't want to tell me why you're so upset..." she said. "But can you at least tell me where you went last night?"

Jasmine shrugged.

"The park," she said shortly. Hermione frowned.

"Is that where you keep going every night?"

She nodded.

"Why?"

Jasmine didn't know what to say. What would Hermione say if she found out what she had been doing? She'd think she was disgusting...

But all of a sudden, she didn't care. She couldn't be bothered to drag this weight around with her any longer, lying to all her friends. Hermione was here, asking her to tell her honestly what she had been doing, and she wasn't prepared to lie anymore. It was too much anxiety and hassle.

"Well...to see..." she hesitated, doubtful for a second, but then decided just to say it. "To see....boys," she said. Hermione looked puzzled.

"Boys? To – oh!"

Comprehension dawned on her face, and her blue eyes widened in astonishment and shock.

"What?! I mean, you haven't – " she spluttered. Jasmine felt ashamed, but knew she would feel better in the long run. She hoped Hermione wouldn't start shouting at her. _Though you deserve it, _she thought resentfully.

"But...but..." she seemed to be having trouble finding words to say. "For how long?!"

"Erm...two years," she said.

"With Jason?"

Jasmine bit her lip. She would have thought Hermione would figure it out on her own that it had not been just Jason. The idea of having to tell her was not a pleasant one.

"Um...no," she said, in a voice that was barely a whisper. Hermione was staring at her open mouthed.

"So...so...that's what you were doing...all those times you went out?!"

She nodded, wishing she could disappear down the plughole.

"You asked me to tell you..." she said quietly. Hermione nodded.

"I know...it's just...I never thought..." she said, looking shocked and worried. "But...Jas...it's dangerous round there, and – "

"You don't think I know that?!" Jasmine snorted. "A guy nearly bloody _raped _me the other night, Hermione, I think I'd realized that it's dangerous!"

The words came out of her mouth before she could register what she was saying. As soon as she heard them, she felt cold. She had never planned to tell anyone that, least of all Hermione.

"I mean..." she stammered, trying desperately to take back what she had just said.

"_What?_" Hermione asked in shock.

"I don't..."

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"No..I mean yes, but – "

"How?! When?!"

"The other night..." Jasmine trailed off. She didn't want Hermione to know this. She didn't want anyone to. She felt ashamed of it, and didn't want people's sympathy. It was entirely her fault.

"Jasmine, that's really serious!" Hermione said. "You should go to the police!"

"No!" Jasmine said quickly. "Look, Hermione, I really don't want to talk about it."

"But – "

"_No_."

"Jasmine – "

"I mean it. It was just a mistake, the guy was drunk, it's my fault for being in that park anyway. Please can we just leave it? It's bad enough having to talk to you about it!"

Hermione opened and closed her mouth, seemingly not at all happy with the idea of not discussing the subject further.

"Please?" Jasmine begged, an eyebrow raised. At last, Hermione nodded.

"Okay," she said heavily. "But please, please, never go there again." There was a pleading note in her voice, and she looked close to tears. Jasmine was going to snort and reply with "What, never? Not even with you?!" but she sensed that Hermione would not be impressed. There was something that touched her about her compassion and her worry, and she nodded silently.

"Oh, Jas," Hermione said, and flung her arms around her. Slightly alarmed, Jasmine nearly fell backwards into the bath. "I'm so worried about you..."

She had begun to cry properly now, clinging on to Jasmine and sobbing.

"It's okay..." Jasmine said, confused and wondering what to do. Gingerly, she patted Hermione's shoulder. After what seemed like several minutes, Hermione was still crying, and Jasmine was getting cramp from sitting awkwardly on the side of the bath.

"Come on, Hermione, you're not bloody Cho Chang, cheer up!" She sat her up and fetched her a tissue. "Look, I'm fine, okay? See?" She smiled at her. Hermione sniffed and nodded, wiping her eyes.

"I know...but you just won't tell me what's wrong..." she said miserably.

"I will, I promise," she said, unsure of what else to say. _Like I could say no, she'd probably start crying again! _"Just not now."

There was a pause, in which Jasmine handed Hermione another tissue.

"Okay," she said, sniffing again and blowing her nose. "But you can always tell me."

Jasmine looked down at her watery, red eyes and felt guilty for not telling her everything.

_Hey, you told her about where you go every night! That's quite a lot, you know! _she justified to herself, and taking Hermione by the arm, led her downstairs to breakfast.

* * *

"Oh, hi," Hermione said, upon entering the attic and finding only Ron there. She sat down on the bed beside him and closed her eyes wearily.

"Did you talk to Jas?" he asked. Hermione nodded.

"What did she say?"

Hermione sighed.

"Oh...a load of stuff," she said. She wasn't going to tell Ron most of what Jasmine had said...although Jasmine hadn't told her not to, she sensed that she wouldn't want Ron to know.

"Did she say why she's been going all....weird?"

Hermione shook her head.

"She said nothing?"

"No."

Ron shrugged.

"What do you think?" he asked.

Hermione considered. She'd been thinking, but didn't know if she wanted to tell Ron. However, he was looking at her expectantly.

"Erm..." she said. "Well, I think she likes someone."

Ron looked doubtful.

"Who?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"I don't know," Hermione said, shaking her head. "I wish I did, then I might be able to help her. But she won't say anything."

"You don't have any idea?" Ron asked.

She shrugged.

"Not really. It just seems like she likes someone who doesn't like her back...she's so frustrated all the time."

Ron looked impressed.

"Wow," he said. "How do you know things like that?"

"Like what?"

"How...girls' minds work...and stuff," he said.

She smiled.

"Because I'm a girl," she said.

For some reason, Ron looked slightly embarrassed. There was a pause.

"So..." he said. "Shall we go for lunch?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"We just had breakfast," she said.

"Oh..." Ron said, looking at the floor and blushing. "Yeah..."

* * *

Jasmine walked along the road, her hands in her pockets, squinting against the bright sunlight. Her jeans trailed along the road as she walked, thoughts running through her head.

She hadn't been able to endure Mrs Weasley's fussing over her, or Harry and Ron watching her nervously and flinching every time she spoke, as if she would snap at them again, or the wary looks from Ginny. Grimmauld Place had become, if possible, even more claustrophobic, and it seemed as if everyone was suddenly scared of her. She cursed herself for being so stupid and losing her temper. But then her thoughts came to rest on Sirius...and Hestia...and she felt familiar anger rise up inside of her again. Pushing it away determinedly, she quickened her pace. She had left the house, unable to put up with the unpleasant memories from last night, and feeling ashamed and angry with herself. In an attempt to get away from it all, she had arranged to meet the only person she could think of who wouldn't either laugh at her or shout at her.

It was a beautiful day, and the park could not have looked more different than it had the night before. The bushes and trees were no longer strange, creepy dark shadows, and she felt perfectly at ease strolling up to the gate, rather than nervous and apprehensive. Tom was leaning against the gate, smiling at her.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey. How are you?" he asked, running a hand through his hair.

"Pretty good," she said. "You?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," he replied.

They walked towards the middle of the park. Jasmine looked around anxiously, desperately hoping that she wouldn't see someone she knew. The last thing she needed was someone like Chris or Matt to show up...or Jason...

Tearing her thoughts away from her ex boyfriend, she sat down on the grass beside Tom, and started to pull up the grass. He gave her a strange look.

"What are you doing?"

"Don't you do that when you sit on the grass?"

He shook his head.

"Oh..." she shrugged. "Habit, I suppose."

There was a pause.

"Are you really okay?" Tom asked, looking her in the eye. She felt herself blush, and looked away.

"Um...yeah," she said. She could feel his eyes boring into her, even though she was concentrating hard on a cloud.

"You look exhausted," he said. Jasmine snorted.

"Thanks."

"You know what I mean."

She bit her lip, unsure of whether to tell him what had happened the night before or not. A part of her really wanted to; to talk to someone who wasn't Hermione, who would maybe understand.

"Um...well...it's just..." She gave up on that idea and decided to give the most ambiguous reason she could think of. "It's a guy."

_Well, it's true. At least...I think it is._

"Ahh," Tom said, nodding. "That explains a lot. Who is he?"

_Oh, for heaven's sake. What's the point in lying anyway? He doesn't know Sirius._

"My best friend's godfather."

Tom looked mildly surprised.

"Older than you." It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"Are you seeing him?"

Jasmine snorted.

"Yeah right. He thinks I'm a stupid immature teenager." She sighed.

"You're not immature," Tom said. She shrugged.

"His – _girlfriend _– seems to think I am." She spat out the word as if it was poisonous, and could feel herself scowling as Hestia's face appeared in her mind.

"Oh," Tom said. "That's not good. Who is she?"

"She's this stupid...._perfect_...bitch...who's always rude to me, and..." Jasmine grabbed a handful of grass and tore it violently up from the ground.

"She's rude to you? Why?"

Jasmine looked up at him. He seemed genuinely interested, which surprised her. Why would he be interested in listening to her whine?

"Cause she's a stuck up cow," she said bluntly.

"Fair enough," Tom said, smiling slightly. "What does she say to you?"

"She called me a slag, and she said I was immature and dressed like a hooker, and – "

"She said that?!" He looked shocked. "To your face?"

"Yes! In front of Sirius as well!"

She hadn't meant to say his name. _Oh, screw it. He won't know Sirius. _

"And this guy just ignored it?"

"Yes! Stupid...." She made a violent gesture with her hand, accidentally throwing grass all over Tom. "Sorry!"

He brushed it off. Jasmine stole a sideways glance at him, her head cocked to one side. She peered at him, trying to figure out if she found him attractive or not. She desperately wanted to; wanted some proof that she didn't like Sirius, that it was all just her being paranoid...wanted to feel something for him, to know that there was someone else out there for her...True, he did have nice blue eyes...but...

She sighed. He wasn't Sirius. That was the problem. That seemed to be the root of a lot of her problems at the moment.

"Jasmine," Tom said, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Do you really like this guy?"

She nodded sadly.

"Well, in that case, you should just tell him."

She snorted again.

"No _way_!"

"Why not? What have you got to lose?"

"Everything! He'd think I was stupid!" she protested.

"Would you rather be wandering around aimlessly, never knowing how he feels?"

She hadn't thought about this, and paused.

"Erm...well no, but – "

"Well there's your answer."

* * *

A few hours later, Jasmine and Tom left the park. They strolled lazily back towards Grimmauld Place, Jasmine still thinking about what he had told her. Maybe he was right...maybe she should tell Sirius. But she couldn't...what if Harry or Ron found out? Or Hermione? Sirius obviously had no feelings for her whatsoever. He'd either laugh at her or mumble something. There was no doubt about it – it would ruin any chance of her ever being friends with him. Things would be so awkward afterwards...

Thoroughly confused, she turned to Tom.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked, unsure of why that question had come to mind. Tom shook his head.

"Not at the moment," he said. "Did have, but it all fell apart since I started university."

Jasmine nodded sympathetically. They had reached the gate.

"Well, thanks for meeting me," she said. Tom smiled.

"No problem, it was nice to see you again."

Jasmine smiled back at him, leaning against the wall, completely unaware of Sirius watching from the front window.

* * *

Sirius sat and stared through the glass at Jasmine, standing and talking animatedly with a boy. He didn't recognize him – maybe he was her new boyfriend. The thought sent a strange feeling running through him, and he frowned to himself. For some reason, it struck him as odd that she was not wearing her usual skirt, high heels and tiny shirt. She was dressed in old jeans and a tank top, her hair tousled and unbrushed, as opposed to artificially straight as usual. There was something strange about the scene unfolding before his eyes, but he couldn't place what it was. The boy was smiling at her, saying something that was making her laugh.

Sirius gazed, transfixed, without realizing that he was staring. He had completely forgotten the book in his hands, and the fact that he was meant to be researching something for the Order. His thoughts returned to the night before; finding Jasmine in the park...hearing her shouting at him...

He had been dwelling on those moments ever since he had returned to the house from the park, and had still come to no conclusion. He wasn't sure if what he was currently feeling had anything to do with Jasmine's shouting and their argument, but for some reason he was not at all happy about what was going on outside the gate. This had happened once before, and he had not been happy then either.

A thought crossed Sirius' mind, but almost as soon as it had, he pushed it away quickly. _No._

Forcing himself back to the task in hand, he opened the book, knowing deep down that there was no way he was going to be able to concentrate.

* * *

There you go. I apologise for this chapter - it's extremely badly written, but I kind of hurried it so it'd be done before I went back to school. It seems slightly pointless, and again, sorry. I promise the next one will be better, if you can wait that long! :P Now...REVIEW!!!


	17. Realisation

**A/N: **Wow...slightly surprised that I managed to do this in a day, I thought I'd never get round to it. Thanks to all my lovely reviewers, what would I do without you? Anyway, here it is, chapter 17. A bit shorter than usual, but I had to leave it where I did...you'll see...I'm smirking annoyingly now...

**Disclaimer: **Sadly all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

Sirius had been so lost in thought that he barely noticed the doorbell ringing several minutes later. Stranger than that, however, was the fact that he did not welcome the arrival of Hestia as enthusiastically as he usually would have done. She entered the living room and greeted him with a bright smile.

"Hello!" she said cheerfully, sitting down on the sofa next to him. Her cheeks were very pink – evidently she had been in a hurry, either to see him, or to get away from the Ministry.

"Hi," Sirius said, kissing her briefly. He cast a nervous glance out of the window, and was relieved to see the boy walking away, waving at Jasmine as he left. Moments later, he heard the front door shut and footsteps going up the stairs. He noticed that Jasmine hadn't slammed the door angrily as seemed to be her habit, and the thought made him feel even more uncomfortable, though he couldn't place why. Realizing he was staring into space, he moved his attention back to Hestia.

"How are you?" he asked, for lack of anything more interesting to say.

"I'm great!" she smiled. "And you?"

Sirius ran his fingers through his long, unkempt hair.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he said. "Been at work?"

Hestia sighed, pulling off her cloak and draping it over the back of the sofa.

"Yeah," she said.

"Long day?"

She nodded, moving closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder. Sirius absent-mindedly placed an arm around her, suddenly lost for words. Try as he might, he couldn't think of anything interesting to say. He lapsed into confused thoughts again, without realizing, and it was only when Hestia sat up and peered at him that he was dragged back to reality.

"Sirius? Are you feeling all right?" she asked, frowning, gazing at him with her big blue eyes.

"Wha – oh, yes. Yeah, I'm fine," he said, shaking his head to clear it, and pulling Hestia close to him. "Just tired."

"Ah, I know the feeling," she sighed, resting her head on his shoulder once more.

"Hmm..." Sirius replied vaguely.

It was six o'clock when Hestia left Grimmauld Place. The sun was still shining brightly outside, however, and Sirius lay back against the sofa, closing his eyes and feeling its warmth upon his face. Try as he might, he had not been able to focus properly during Hestia's visit. Of course, she was still as beautiful and charming as ever, but he had not been able to relax. He was forever jumping every time footsteps sounded on the landing, which lead to Hestia pressing him to tell her what was wrong. The truth was, he didn't even know himself.

He sat there for a long while, deep in thought, without really thinking about anything at all. Maybe the hot summer sun was responsible for his lethargic state of mind, maybe it was the boy outside the window; he didn't know, and didn't wish to ponder further on the subject. So worn out by his confusion was he that he welcomed the sound of footsteps outside the door moments later. His anticipation quickly evaporated when he saw who the footsteps belonged to.

"Hi," Jasmine said. The usual slightly surprised look that she always wore when coming across him in the living room was not there, which led him to believe that she had come looking for him. She was fiddling with her sleeve uneasily. Sirius wasn't sure why he felt unhappy to see her...after all, only faint remnants of animosity remained in his mind from the night before; thinking about the events further only frustrated him...maybe it was because he felt such a strange confusion every time he came face to face with her. Or thought about her, for that matter.

"Hello," he said.

"Um..." She was still pulling stray threads from her sleeve, looking down at the ground. Sirius frowned slightly. "Um...Sirius...I – I'm sorry."

She caught his eye for a moment, and then looked away again, flushing. He received the impression that she would rather be anywhere but standing in front of him having this 'conversation'. There was a silence. He didn't know what to say. Certainly, he had not expected this.

"For the other night," Jasmine continued. "I...shouldn't have lost my temper." She had turned even redder, and seemed determined to avoid his gaze. He was stunned. Jasmine was apologising to him? Wait...Jasmine was _apologising_? It took him a few seconds to comprehend what was going on; it was so out of character for her...she _always _thought she was right...

It was only when Sirius saw her about to turn and leave that he realized he should probably say something.

"I...That's okay," he said quickly. She looked up at him, a faint smile crossing her face.

"Really?" she said, without looking away.

"Yes," Sirius said sincerely. Then, feeling a sudden need to apologise for his own actions too, said, "I'm sorry as well."

"Well, you should be," she said. "You were quite moody, you know."

Sirius snorted. No, she was the same old Jasmine. He should have known that she wouldn't apologise without holding a bit of a grudge. Even so, he could not help smiling.

"_I _was a bit moody?!" he said incredulously. She smiled at him.

"Yes," she said simply, sitting down on the opposite sofa and crossing her legs. "And I don't think Dumbledore would be very happy if he found out you went out as Padfoot..."

He raised his eyebrows, ignoring her. She smiled again and lay back against the arm of the sofa.

Sirius felt better than he had all day. Gone was the nagging feeling of guilt and regret at the back of his mind; he no longer had to worry that Jasmine was secretly trashing her room screaming about how much she hated him, or thinking murderous thoughts. He was wondering what had possessed her to come and apologise – maybe Hermione's influence. Or Harry's.

"What have you been doing all day?" she asked him brightly. Sirius shrugged.

"Nothing."

"Didn't Hestia come round?" she asked. Sirius saw a muscle tense in her jaw; she clearly had not forgotten Hestia's abusive tirade the previous night. He admired her restraint for not launching into a heated diatribe.

"Yes," he said, nodding. Jasmine seemed to regret mentioning the subject – her teeth were clenched and she was gripping her mobile phone tightly. Sirius hoped she wasn't imagining it to be Hestia's head.

"What about you?" Sirius asked her, wanting to change the subject before she lost her self-control and started hurling abuse at his absent girlfriend. She shrugged, pulling her hair back away from her face.

"Not much. Went for a walk. Did you – "

Their conversation was interrupted by Jasmine's phone ringing. She jumped, slightly startled, and held it up to her ear.

"Hello?"

Sirius saw her face fall, and a look of panic fill her eyes. She was silent for a few seconds, glancing around the room frantically. "Erm..."

She pulled the phone from her ear and stared helplessly at Sirius.

"It's my ex boyfriend!" she mouthed. "What do I do?!"

"Er..." Sirius had not expected this question to be thrown at him, and had no idea what to say. "Talk to him?!" he suggested feebly. Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"That was helpful," she said sarcastically. "Err...hi, Jay," she mumbled awkwardly into the phone.

Sirius found himself strangely intrigued. Jasmine's brown eyes widened as she listened to the boy on the other end of the line.

"What?" she asked incredulously, frowning. After a few seconds, she turned to Sirius.

"He wants me to get back with him!" she hissed frantically, her eyes wide. "What do I say?!"

"Er..." Again, Sirius was lost for words. He had no idea who this boy was, or what had happened. How was he supposed to offer her advice?! "I don't really know..."

Jasmine rolled her eyes again, as if he was useless for not being telepathic enough to figure out what was going on inside her head. Which, he thought wryly, was probably a good thing.

"We went out for a year then he dumped me for some slag and now he wants to get back with me," she said breathlessly, as if it was obvious.

It never ceased to amaze Sirius how much of her private life Jasmine didn't mind sharing openly. For a fleeting second, he wondered if this was the same boyfriend who had slept with other girls and gotten one pregnant, as Jasmine had told him angrily a few days ago. "Well?!" she asked impatiently, gesturing to the phone in her hand.

"Erm...is this the same boy who..." he asked awkwardly. He stood up, placing his hands in his pockets.

"Cheated on me? Yes. Now hurry up! What do I say?" she snapped.

"Say no!" Sirius said, without really knowing why. He had spoken more out of impulse than anything else.

"Why?" Jasmine asked.

"No one deserves someone like that," he said wisely, marvelling at how rational he sounded. Jasmine looked heartened.

"Okay!" she said brightly. He didn't know why, but Sirius could tell that was the answer she had hoped he would give.

"Jay," she said, speaking into the phone. A brief smirk crossed her face. "Kindly fuck off and leave me alone."

Sirius flinched – it would not have been his ideal choice of language...but he supposed that was her way of getting the message across. Grinning triumphantly, she tossed the phone onto the sofa.

"Yes!" she exclaimed happily, beaming. "Thank you so much!"

She ran to him and flung her arms around him. Completely taken aback, Sirius nearly fell over. Before he could do anything, Jasmine had pulled away and was running happily upstairs, yelling "Hermione!"

Sirius stared, dazed, at the empty doorway, sighing as the familiar confusion overcame him again.

* * *

Jasmine walked happily down the street, fighting the urge to start skipping or singing, as she realized it was early evening and people would be able to see her. Nevertheless, she swung her arms jauntily as she walked, feeling inexplicably happy. Not only had she told Jason exactly where to go, she had also made up with Sirius. She would no longer have to spend hours agonising over whether he was annoyed at her or not, or replaying the angry moments of the other night in her head as she lay awake at night. As far as she was concerned, things were definitely picking up. The sun was still burning brightly, as if it could sense her mood. Several people passed her, and she smiled cheerfully at them, without knowing or caring who they were. She hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

By the time she had reached the park, she had lapsed into a thoughtful state of mind, traipsing along the path, her hands in her pockets. She didn't really know where she was going, but the sun had seemed so inviting that she had left Grimmauld Place to enjoy the last of it, before autumn arrived.

The park was busy, full of people sunbathing, talking and eating ice cream. Jasmine wandered aimlessly through the centre of the grass, looking around absent-mindedly at the people milling around her.

She had found herself wondering several times over the past few days what had brought on this sudden attraction...if that was what she could call it...to Sirius. The more she dwelled on it, the more she could come to no logical conclusion. It was absurd and ridiculous, yet it refused to go away. She sighed as she squinted against the sunlight. A boy smiled at her as he passed. More out of reflex than anything else, Jasmine smiled back, though the smile did not reach her eyes. She turned around and watched as he walked away, picturing his face, and trying to determine whether she found him attractive or not. Try as she might, she just didn't feel anything. There was no flutter in her stomach, no jolt as she locked eyes with him. She turned away again, and looked around. There were so many boys...and Jasmine felt slightly sad to think that at one time, she would have been in her element. But now, she just felt nothing.

Jasmine sat down by a tree at the edge of the park. The sun was beginning to set, the sky darkening slightly. She must have been there for a while, because people were beginning to leave as the air around grew steadily colder. However, she continued to sit and watch them, lost in the implications of her thoughts. She didn't want to admit it, because the idea was so strange, so...frightening, almost...but she was falling for Sirius in a big way.

* * *

It was night. Sirius stared at his reflection in the mirror. His hair was long and dishevelled, and there were dark circles under his eyes. There was something different about the image staring back at him, but he couldn't place what it was. Sighing, he pulled off his jeans and ran a hand through his hair. The sky outside was dark. He had fallen asleep on the sofa, and woken up to find everyone else had gone to bed. It was around two o'clock in the morning, and he was still feeling slightly disorientated. He was also still thinking about Jasmine. There was something strange going on in his head...he didn't know why he was letting his thoughts reside there, but they would not go away. Every so often, a frightening possibility would dart through his mind, leaving him cold. There was no way. She was his godson's _best friend..._

Once again, Sirius shook his head furiously, determined to push that thought out of his mind once and for all. He sat down on the side of his bed, his head in his hands.

_Don't be ridiculous, _he thought angrily. _You're just tired, that's all. _He ignored the niggling voice at the back of his mind that pointed out that he had just slept for four hours. He picked up the glass of water by his bed, half considering pouring it over himself.

There was a knock on the door. Sirius groaned inwardly. _Probably Molly coming to reprimand me for not washing up, _he thought sullenly, without remembering that it was the middle of the night. Forgetting that he was wearing only a shirt and his boxers, he opened the door, completely unprepared for what would be standing there to greet him.

Jasmine was standing in the doorway, dressed only in her silk nightdress, her hair hanging long and curly around her shoulders. Her hand was still raised, as if she had been about to knock again. Sirius was so shocked, he stumbled backwards.

"Jasmine!" he said, suddenly very aware that he wasn't wearing much. And neither was she...

"Hi," she said, looking apologetic. "Were you sleeping?"

"No..." he stood awkwardly, wishing he had left his jeans on, and wondering what on earth she was doing here. "Jasmine, it's the middle of the night!"

She nodded, still looking rueful.

"I know," she said. "But I couldn't sleep...I just..." She glanced down at the ground, as if struggling to find words to say. "Can I come in?"

"Er...." Sirius said uneasily, completely bewildered. "Okay..."

He tapped the side of the glass in his hands, out of nerves or uneasiness, he couldn't tell.

She stepped inside, and he shut the door behind her, for fear of waking the rest of the house. He smiled grimly as he thought of what Mrs Weasley would think of the current situation...

"Sirius, I need to tell you something," Jasmine said, fiddling with the corner of his duvet, as she had done with her sleeve earlier that day. He could tell she was uncomfortable. He raised his eyebrows questioningly. "I think..."

There was a pause, in which she took a deep breath. "I think I'm in love with you."

Sirius nearly dropped the glass in his hands.

"You...you what?!" he asked, completely taken aback. Jasmine was looking down at the bed. She had turned crimson.

Sirius stared at her. He stared at her brown eyes, which were full of embarrassment and an emotion he couldn't place. He stared at her hair, which was hanging tousled and unbrushed around her shoulders. He stared at her face...at her beautiful face, and suddenly he realized.

Without any further thought, Sirius reached for her. He grabbed her by the nape of her neck and pulled her to him, covering her mouth with his. He felt her tense, startled, but then she relaxed, and wrapped her arms around him. He kissed her fiercely, feeling heat rising up his neck, forgetting everything but the feeling of her lips against his.

Completely lost in the moment, he pulled her still closer to him, wanting her more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. The temptation that had been haunting him, without him knowing, for the past few weeks had won him over...he deepened the kiss, still clutching at her tightly, abandoning all sense of reason. He couldn't remember the last time someone had kissed him this way, with the same passion as his. He felt every single trace of lust and desire within him coursing through his veins as he placed a hand behind her head, pulling her towards him, kissing her so intensely that he could barely breathe.

Without warning, Jasmine broke off the kiss. She stared up at him, her eyes wide with astonishment, breathing heavily.

"Sirius..." she said breathlessly.

But before she could say another word, Sirius gripped her by the shoulders and kissed her again, with such ardour that he felt her start in surprise. He ran his fingers through her hair, as she wrapped her arms around his waist, tugging at his shirt. He let go of her for a second, and she lifted it over his head, flinging it carelessly across the room and kissing him again forcefully. She lay back on the bed, pulling him down with her, running her hands over his back. Her nails were digging in to him, but he didn't care. He was lost in the warmth of her mouth, in her scent, in the feeling of his fingers tangled in her hair, as he kissed her with all the passion within him...

Sirius sat bolt upright, gasping for breath. His hair was plastered to his forehead...he could feel cold sweat running down his face. The stillness and darkness of the room around him pressed against his eyelids as he stared at it, his chest heaving, panting breathlessly, the memories of a few seconds earlier racing through his head...a dream...He clutched the duvet to him, still gasping, numb with shock.

* * *

Review! NOW! :P


	18. Innocence

**A/N: **Okay okay, I know I haven't updated for about…six months or something, but I have been unbelievably busy thanks to exams and other chaos (and my boyfriend…but he did actually pester me to let him read this, so it's partly thanks to him that it's here). Next chapter should be done pretty soon if I can find some time. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I'm really sorry about the delay. But I hope it was worth it. (I doubt it, though).

**Disclaimer: **Sadly all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

"Sleep well?" Hermione asked brightly as Jasmine entered the kitchen.

"Yeah, pretty well. You?" she asked, sitting down and pulling a piece of toast towards her. Hermione nodded, stirring her cup of tea absently.

"Where's Mrs Weasley?" Jasmine asked.

"Gone shopping," Hermione replied. "Ron and Harry up yet?"

Jasmine shook her head.

"Ron was still snoring when I walked past," she said, rolling her eyes. Hermione chuckled. "We're lucky we don't have to share a room with the boys. I don't understand how Harry puts up with it."

"Well, there's a spell. Professor Flitwick – "

"Yeah. Good," Jasmine said absently, before Hermione could launch into a rant about various spells, charms and magical sleeping aids. "So what are we doing today?"

"Well, Sirius said he wanted to go for a walk."

Jasmine felt an odd jolt in her stomach at the mention of Sirius, but ignored it.

"Why?"

"Well, he seems to have given up on disguising himself, since…you know…"

Jasmine knew Hermione was referring to the time Sirius had gone to get her from the park after she had stormed out of the house, and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Anyway, he wants to stretch his legs, apparently." She shrugged.

"Fair enough. Are the others coming?"

"Harry and Ron, I think. Fred and George said something about going to visit Lee."

"'Lo, Hermione, Jas," Ron mumbled, walking groggily into the kitchen and running his fingers through his hair. Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Tired, are we?" she asked. Ron ignored her and reached for the teapot.

"We're going for a walk later, apparently," Jasmine said. She yawned and laid her head on the table, closing her eyes. Despite a night of sleep, she still felt exhausted.

"Morning, Sirius," came Hermione's voice.

Jasmine sat up so sharply, her head hit a plate, which fell to the floor with a clatter. She could feel herself blushing furiously as she looked up and saw Sirius enter the kitchen. There was a brief moment where their eyes met, but then Sirius looked away and walked over to the kettle.

Cursing herself for being an idiot, Jasmine reached down and picked up the plate she had knocked over. Feeling no desire to remain in the kitchen with Hermione and Ron looking at her, she mumbled something about needing to change and ran upstairs. It seemed she was permanently running away from something these days.

* * *

Sirius couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed when he saw Jasmine pull on her shoes and join the others walking out of the door. For a fleeting second, he felt the urge to turn back; to run upstairs and lock himself in his room and brood some more. However, the sight of the blinding summer sunlight pouring in through the window above the front door was oddly alluring; months of being locked inside had taken their toll on Sirius, and he longed to walk outside in daylight again. He stood awkwardly by the door as the others filed outside into the sunlight before closing the door and joining them. They ambled leisurely along the road, Harry and Ron with their hands in their pockets, Jasmine and Hermione talking animatedly about something or other. Sirius felt unusually out of place amongst them as he skulked at the back of the group, kicking stones along the road. As much as he liked to tell himself that there was no need for him to feel threatened in broad daylight, he kept glancing around to check that no one was following him, and jumping at odd noises.

"Sirius?"

He started, looking up from the ground. Jasmine was looking at him.

"W – yes?"

"Where are we going?"

"Er…up to you," he said dismissively, trying to look at anything except her face. Her lips. Which last night had been kissing his. He ran a hand through his hair, closing his eyes and trying to remove the image from his mind. Jasmine shrugged and turned back to Hermione.

"Enjoying the sunlight then?" Harry asked, falling into step beside him.

"Yeah," Sirius replied.

They walked on for a while, until they came to the park. Sirius wished they could have chosen somewhere else. He couldn't stop thinking about the last time he had been at that park. At night. With Jasmine.

"I'm bored," sighed the girl in question, lying down on the grass on her back. Her hair was shining in the sunlight, and Sirius found himself staring at it. He thought of last night, when he was running his fingers through it…

_Stop it, _he thought angrily to himself. _You _weren't _running your fingers through it. It was a dream. Now stop being ridiculous and think about something else. _

"So, Hermione…" he said, attempting to change the subject of his thoughts. "How's the charm coming along?"

Hermione looked puzzled by his sudden interest.

"Um, pretty well, thanks," she said. "I realized that by altering the sensitivity of the field of effect towards certain objects, I could enhance the – "

Sirius wished he hadn't asked. He had no real interest in Hermione's plan to create a charm that made House-Elves develop a sudden aversion to work that needed to be done. She seemed to think that by using it to make the Hogwarts elves go on strike, she could achieve some sort of pay rise for them all. When Ron had tried to point out that the elves didn't want paying in the first place, she had snapped "_Oh, what would you know, Ron? You just use them for their food!"_ and slammed her bedroom door in his face.

Jasmine was idly pulling grass up from the ground and throwing it over her shoulder. When a fairly large amount landed accidentally on Sirius' face, she giggled.

"Sorry about that," she said, leaning towards him and brushing the grass off his face. He recoiled, as if her touch had given him an electric shock, and hurriedly brushed the grass off himself. She looked slightly bemused for a second, then shrugged and lay back down again.

"I want ice cream," she announced, getting up.

"I'll come with you," Harry said. "Ron, Hermione?"

"Yeah, get me some," Ron grunted from where he was lying face-down, kicking his feet against the grass.

"Charming," Hermione said disdainfully.

"Sirius?" Jasmine asked.

He shook his head.

"Aw, come on," she coaxed, putting her hands on his shoulders. "It'll cool you down…it's a hot day…think of all that ice…"

Once again, he started at her touch. The feeling of her touching him, her breath on the back of his neck was overwhelming.

"No," he said suddenly, moving away from her. She raised her eyebrows.

"Fine then…"

Her and Harry turned and walked away, leaving Hermione looking slightly puzzled, and Ron yawning sleepily, unaware of anything unusual.

Sirius stared distantly into space for a while, trying to think of anything but Jasmine. However, when his gaze fell on her, talking to the same blond boy he had seen her with once before outside the window of Grimmauld Place, he felt a pang of jealousy ripple through him. Feeling as if he could take no more, he got to his feet.

"I've just remembered something I have to do. Order stuff," he said vaguely to Hermione. "I'll see you later."

And without waiting for a reply, or pausing to consider how rude he seemed, he walked quickly away from the park.

* * *

"Where'd Sirius go?" Jasmine asked as she returned to Ron and Hermione, laden with three large ice creams.

"He just left," Ron said, shrugging. "Seemed a bit weird."

"Maybe he's tired," Hermione said. "The Order have been pretty busy lately."

Jasmine sat down on the grass, licking her ice cream thoughtfully. She had been slightly puzzled by Sirius' odd behaviour…it wasn't like him to recoil when she touched him, or to seemingly avoid her altogether. However, try as she might, she could not worry too much when the sun was dazzling in the azure blue sky, and the grass around her was lush and green. She sat back and looked around, enjoying the sunshine and the feeling of summer as Hermione and Ron bickered, and Harry watched them, an amused expression on his face.

She sat like that for a while, various thoughts running idly through her head, a pleasantly content feeling inside her as she felt the sun's warmth against her face. For once, she was not agonising over unrequited love, or worrying about a night-time meeting at the park, or wallowing in self-pity and loneliness. She felt as if that could be a thing of the past, as if something had shown her that being that way would never make her happy. It was a nice realization, and as her mind turned to Sirius, she just shrugged. _Whatever happens, happens, _she thought to herself, as she joined in Harry and Ron's speculation as to who would be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts come September.

After several hours, the sun's warmth had lessened, and there was a chill breeze in the air, which was making Jasmine uncomfortably cold. Many people had departed from the park; it was almost empty. They had been talking so animatedly that they hadn't realized it was getting cold and dark.

"I think we should go back now," Hermione said, getting up slowly and brushing grass off her jeans.

"Yeah, I'm freezing," Ron agreed, zipping up his jumper and shivering slightly. They set off, wandering silently across the park. Jasmine shot a sideways glance at her friends and smiled. She felt slightly guilty for having treated them so badly over the past few weeks, and resolved to behave better in future. She wasn't sure of the reason for this new mindset she had acquired, but she liked it.

They were nearing the road and the noise of passing cars when suddenly, Jasmine heard a voice calling her name. A voice she recognized well. She turned around, and was greeted with the sight of Jason, standing at the foot of a tree and looking at her, a cigarette in his hand. Her stomach made a strange sort of lurch, half dread, half…she didn't know what. She stopped, and Hermione stopped too. Ron and Harry had carried on walking, too absorbed in a Quidditch discussion to notice.

"You go," Jasmine said. "I just need to…you know." She gestured towards Jason. Hermione nodded, although she seemed a little puzzled, and crossed the road, stopping to look back at Jasmine when she reached the other side. Feeling very apprehensive, Jasmine walked across the grass to her ex-boyfriend, who tossed his cigarette aside nonchalantly as his gaze met hers. She was feeling a strange mixture of feelings…a part of her was revelling in being subjected to that gaze again, a part of her was feeling slightly detached.

"Hey," Jason said, stepping towards her.

"Um, hi," she replied, unusually embarrassed, looking down at her feet. She was suddenly very conscious of the fact that she was wearing old jeans and a sweatshirt, and her hair had not been straightened.

"I've missed you, babe," Jason said, without preamble. He reached out and put his hands on her waist, drawing her closer to him. He smelt of cigarettes, and had taken Jasmine very much by surprise. She tensed; his embrace felt strangely foreign, and she wasn't sure she liked it. Before she could speak or think, he had moved his mouth to hers. And before she could respond, a loud shout shattered the stillness around her and Jason, jolting her back to her senses.

"Oi! Jason!"

Jasmine looked around, and was alarmed to see a crowd of about fifteen girls and boys coming towards them. They were all dressed in sports clothing, copious amounts of gold jewellery glittering around their necks and ears, and the girls all had identical bleached-blonde hair, slicked back into ponytails, drawing attention to their over plucked eyebrows. A tall girl was standing at the front of the group, dressed in a tiny black skirt and vest, her breasts exposed to the point of indecency. She stood in front of Jasmine, looking her up and down, a cigarette protruding from between her red-lined lips. A disdainful sneer crossed her face, and she put her hands on her hips.

"Who the fuck are you?" she asked. Jasmine looked around at them all. They were clutching cigarettes and bottles of Bacardi, and each of them was looking at her, all wearing the same identical sneer across their faces. Jasmine was unsure of what to reply, until one of the girls did it for her.

"I know you!" she screeched. "You're _Jason's_ ex!"

There was a ripple of recognition around the group at her words, and the sneers across their faces became even more pronounced.

"Um, yeah," Jasmine replied lamely.

"He dumped you, didn't he?" the tall girl asked, shoving her backwards roughly. "Said you was a slag who slept around."

Jasmine stumbled, caught off guard by the girl. Some of the others sniggered as she stared at Jason, who nodded.

"You're a little bitch," another girl said, spitting her chewing gum out on the grass. "Look at you." She sneered at her, staring pointedly at her jeans and jumper.

"He said you were fuckin' other guys. You treated him like shit." Another girl had stepped up and was glowering at her, hands on her hips.

"What! No I didn't!" Jasmine protested, looking in outrage at Jason, who sneered at her.

"Fuck off, Jas," he said idly. "Stop trying to get me back."

She opened her mouth in disbelief, not knowing what to say, completely nonplussed.

"Wh – ?"

"Like I'd want you anyway. You're fuckin' frigid."

Jasmine was taken aback. _Since when! _

"No I'm not!" she said indignantly.

"Dunno why I went near you. You're a bitch," Jason said coldly, putting his arm round some blonde girl who was clutching a large bottle of vodka in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

"I only said I loved you so you'd fuck me," Jason sniggered, and several of the boys laughed. "But how clingy can you get!"

Jasmine felt as if someone had hit her in the stomach. She stared at him open-mouthed, completely shocked.

"What the fuck!" she said, and was sickened to feel tears pricking behind her eyes. She blinked them away forcefully.

"Are you gettin' facey with me!" the tall girl demanded angrily, grabbing her by the shoulders and shoving her backwards again. "You fuckin' whore!"

"Slapper!" another girl said, pushing her forcefully. They were advancing on her, and Jasmine was beginning to feel very intimidated. She had seen people like this, some of her friends were like this…but never in such a large number, and never threatening her.

"You're a fuckin' slag!" came a voice, as a tall, thin girl in a parka and short skirt strode towards her, her gold hoop earrings jangling, her face screwed up in disgust. Without warning, she slammed her fist into Jasmine's face. The force of the punch knocked her backwards. She fell onto the grass, seeing only black for a second. Pain exploded in her head, and it took her a few seconds to open her eyes. She saw stars as she looked up at the girl.

"Fuckin' bitch! What the fuck do you think you're doing, fuckin' my boyfriend?"

Jasmine didn't register what she said; she was too busy reaching up to feel her face, pain coursing through her body. Everything was spinning, and her limbs felt weak as she tried to stand up. However, her efforts were stopped as the girl kicked her, and she fell down again. It was only when she recognized the boy standing next to the girl that she understood; it was Matt.

"BITCH!" the girl said again, and kicked her a second time. Pain shot up her leg, and she recoiled.

"You fuckin' slag! Fuckin' other people's guys!" another girl said, throwing her cigarette at her. Jasmine moved her arm, and it landed on the grass. She was staring blearily up at them, feeling sick to her stomach, and for the first time, very scared. She made another effort to stand up, but all she could feel was pain. She pulled herself weakly to her feet, trying not to look at the angry faces around her. The boys were sniggering, seemingly enjoying the fight.

"What's the matter, Jas? I thought you enjoyed spending half your time on your back," Jason sniggered, and the boys guffawed loudly. She was staring at him, completely disbelieving that he could be so cruel, wondering whether this was actually happening. His words hurt her more than the punch from the tall girl had.

"Don't you ever fuckin' come near my guy again!" the girl in the parka said, slapping her around the face. It caught Jasmine by surprise, and she stumbled backwards, but this time she didn't fall. Finally, her instincts seemed to kick in, and with a last look back at the group, she turned on her heel and fled down the road.

* * *

She ran as fast as her bruised legs could carry her, the wind blowing her hair out behind her, tears streaming down her face. She didn't notice the surprised looks from passers-by, or the people she pushed into as she ran, or the stitch in her side as she gasped for breath. She didn't stop running until she reached the door of 12 Grimmauld Place, and slammed her fists against it over and over again, crying hysterically, begging someone silently to open the door.

When she saw Sirius' face, she was overwhelmed with emotion, and didn't even notice his surprised expression as she collapsed into his arms, gasping for breath as she sobbed uncontrollably, pain running through her, both physical and emotional. He tensed for a minute, unsure of what to do, taken completely by surprise. He patted her shoulder nervously for a minute, before reaching forward and shutting the door.

Sirius ushered Jasmine into the living room, closing the door behind him and sitting her down on the sofa. Part of him wanted to run, as he had no idea how to deal with this and was still fairly uncomfortable as far as Jasmine was concerned, but part of him hurt to see her like this, and desperately wanted to comfort her. The problem was, he had no idea how.

He looked at Jasmine, and was startled to see that one of her eyes was swollen and red, and there was blood running from her nose. She had makeup smudged down her cheeks, and there were tears pouring down her face.

"Jasmine!" he exclaimed. "What happened!"

She did not reply, and merely sobbed harder, her face screwed up in pain. He ached to see her like this, and wanted nothing more than to put his arms around her and let her cry out all her frustration. He hated seeing her upset and angry, hated never knowing why unless it was because of him.

"Jasmine," he said again, more softly. She looked up at him briefly, her eyes shining with tears, half hidden by her hair. "What happened?"

At this, she dissolved into tears again, tearing her gaze from his, her head bowed and her shoulders shaking. Sirius tentatively reached out and put his hands on her shoulders, steadying her as she cried.

"I – fucking thought – he loved me," she sobbed, her voice high pitched and shaky. "I FUCKING hate him".

She slammed her fist into the side of the sofa angrily, her voice catching in her throat.

"Who?" Sirius asked.

"Jason," she replied, spitting out the name as if it was poisonous. She mumbled something angrily as she cried, still punching the side of the sofa.

"What happened to your face?" Sirius said, peering again at her swollen eye and bleeding nose.

"Fucking – BITCHES," she said through clenched teeth by way of reply, beginning to cry harder.

Sirius gathered by this that it had not been an accident.

"Wait a second," Sirius said. He got up from the sofa. "I'll be right back," he said reassuringly, patting her shoulder. He ran to the kitchen and hurriedly picked up a tea towel and filled a glass with water. Then he returned to Jasmine, who seemed to have calmed down a little. She was still crying, but was no longer hitting the sofa or sobbing loudly. He sat down in front of her, and offered her the water. She sipped it slowly for a second, then handed it back, wiping her eyes. Sirius reached out and wiped the blood from her face gently. She flinched as he touched her.

"Does it hurt?" he asked. She nodded. He decided to leave her injuries till later. She sniffed, tears still running down her cheeks. She looked a mess. Her eyes were filled with pain, and there was a heartbreaking innocence about her which made him ache.

"Jasmine," he said softly. "What happened?"

She took a deep breath, still shaking slightly.

"He said he never ever loved me," she said. There was no anger in her tone, just a sense of hopelessness, which was so much worse. "He fucking…used me for _sex_." There was a trace of disgust in her voice, and Sirius could not tell if it was directed at Jason, or herself. "Fucking – "

She couldn't even bring herself to find the words, and started to cry harder again at the memories, closing her eyes. Sirius reached out and held her shoulders again, wishing there was something he could do.

"And then his – fucking _bitches_…they…hit me. They said…"

Her voice trailed off as she covered her face with her hands, her voice filled with pain. Sirius could stand it no longer, and without hesitation, almost as if it were a reflex, reached out and pulled Jasmine close to him.

He held her against him, his arms around her shoulders as she wept into his shoulder. He could feel her tears soaking through his shirt, but he didn't care in the slightest. He stroked her hair gently as she cried, trying to calm her, wishing he could make everything that made her unhappy disappear. His heart ached to see her so upset, to know that she didn't deserve it. He couldn't think of anything but the crying girl in his arms as he closed his eyes, revelling in the feeling of her being close to him.

"Ssh," he murmured, tightening his arms around her slightly. "It'll be okay."

At these words, Jasmine moved away from him. She sat up, still very close to him. She tilted her head upwards, and her eyes met his, wide and full of tears still.

"How do you know that?" she asked sadly, her voice breaking slightly.

Sirius wished he knew how to answer her. He looked into her eyes, wishing he could erase the hurt he saw there. He was enchanted by her, unable to look away from her sparkling eyes. It shocked him how beautiful she was, even with bruises and mascara smudged across her features. There was an innocent vulnerability about her that he rarely ever witnessed, and now it was more pronounced than ever. Sirius felt as if he was frozen to the spot, unable to take his eyes off hers. Absent-mindedly, he reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face, his hand lingering above her cheekbone. She was still looking up at him. His other hand was still on her shoulder, and without thinking, he drew her closer to him. Their faces were barely inches apart, and Sirius felt as if the feeling of her breath against his face was paralysing him, rooting him the spot. He was incapable of coherent thought as his hand moved down to the nape of her neck, running his fingers through her hair. It felt familiar…exactly as it had during his dream. And Sirius knew that if he moved away from her, he would never be able to live with himself.

Her face moved closer to his, painfully slowly, until their noses were touching. Jasmine was still looking into his eyes, but then both their eyes closed as their lips touched. Sirius felt as if something had flared up inside him, and as her lips brushed against his, he pulled her still closer with his other hand…

"Sirius!"

They jumped apart as if an electric shock had touched them both. It was Molly Weasley's voice, coming from the kitchen. Adrenaline was coursing through Sirius' veins; he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. His gaze met Jasmine's. Her eyes were wide and full of astonishment, her mouth half-open as they stared at each other, shocked and shaken by what had just happened.

* * *

Review...please...


	19. Crush

Here it is at last, Chapter 19. After a year and a half of not writing. I hope it lives up to the standards, but I'll need lots of reviews to help me get back on track...hint hint!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

Sirius paced the room up and down, running his fingers through his hair, a thousand thoughts spinning through his mind, not one of them making any sense. He had nearly _kissed _her. He had as good as kissed her. If Mrs Weasley hadn't interrupted…He wasn't sure he wanted to finish that train of thought. It was ludicrous. She was his godson's friend. She was around half his age. She was upset and vulnerable. Clichéd thoughts, all perfectly rational, but all perfectly senseless: no matter how hard he tried, he could not stop the thought that was bothering him most from nagging at the back of his mind: _but you wanted to kiss her…_

Full of anger, Sirius lashed out at the wall, his fist landing hard against the plaster. Pain shot up his arm, but it did nothing to calm him. He didn't know what to think. Utterly confused and still in shock, he strode around the room, like a tiger in a cage. Sirius could not prevent himself from recalling his Hogwarts days, when he had eagerly taken advantage of vulnerable females without a hint of regard to his conscience. Here he was again, the same old story. He cursed himself for refusing to grow up, for lingering on with his misshapen mind that still resembled that of a man much younger and free from the taint of Azkaban. Why should a girl like Jasmine have to suffer his multi-faceted confusion, confusion that appeared to manifest itself in every aspect of his life? _No, you had not wanted to kiss her. Something ridiculous is going on in your mind that gave you such an illusion. Now grow up._

Thankfully, Sirius' mental battle was soon interrupted by a knock at the door. Harry entered, pausing at the threshold.

"Mrs Weasley told me to tell you that dinner is ready," he said.

"Oh," Sirius said, shocked that such mundane things as meals still existed in this perplexing world. "Thanks."

Harry paused, as if unsure of whether to leave or remain.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Sirius almost smiled as he attempted to answer such a question. He sat down on the end of his bed, running his fingers through his hair.

"I've been better," he replied honestly.

"What is it?"

"To be perfectly honest, I have no idea," Sirius sighed.

"Is it Bellatrix?" Harry asked. Sirius looked up sharply, his eyes narrowing.

"No."

"Sorry, I just thought - "

"No, sorry, I didn't mean to snap. Maybe it is, I really don't know. As if I – you, everyone – don't have enough to worry about without that maniac on the loose. And with me being stupid enough to reveal myself to her in broad daylight…"

"Not stupid," Harry said firmly. "We all could have died. And I know that Hermione and Jasmine can't thank you enough."

Sirius felt the tiniest of lurches in his stomach at the mention of the name, and almost laughed out loud at such a clichéd, adolescent experience.

"Maybe." His word sounded vague, weightless, hanging suspended in the air. His mind felt blank and heavy, and the desire to yield to his lethargy and let sleep engulf him was extremely tempting, despite the fact that it was only 8 o'clock.

"Well, everyone else thinks it was brave of you. It's only you who sees it as a bad thing. You'd better hurry up, or dinner will be cold, and Mrs Weasley will have a fit." Harry turned to leave, clearly irritated by Sirius' apathetic self-pity.

"Harry, wait," he said. "I'm sorry, I'm being ridiculous. It's just this _house_!" He gestured at the room around him, fists clenched. A tiny drop had evaporated from the ocean of his frustration into the air. He felt better, relieved.

"I know," Harry said, sympathetically. "I wouldn't be able to stand having to go back and live with the Dursleys."

"At least the Dursleys haven't bewitched everything in sight to commit attempted murder on you and your guests," Sirius said wryly, gesturing to the sink in the corner of the room. "I gave up attempting to shave after that razor nearly decapitated me."

He rose from the bed and followed Harry downstairs to dinner, feeling slightly more distracted and, consequentially, cheerful.

* * *

Dinner was a fairly nondescript affair, enlivened only by the arrival of a harassed-looking Mr Weasley clutching a large, old-fashioned telephone wrapped in a woollen scarf. The reason for the scarf soon became evident once it was removed and the phone promptly proceeded to scream obscenities at the crowd of diners seated at the table. "Second one of these in a week!" he had exclaimed, hurriedly forcing the contraption into a closet and banging the door shut. "And we can't leave them in the office because they scare the house-elves!" Molly Weasley had not been amused by the arrival of a foulmouthed telephone into the house and gave Arthur a whispered lecture in a corner that was only loud enough for Sirius to catch two words: "delicate" and "ears". Hermione had also started at the mention of house-elves, her eyes narrowing. Predictably, Ron and Harry had given each other meaningful looks as they witnessed this.

After dinner, the evening had passed in a similar fashion, devoid of excitement. Sirius had attempted to join in a Gobstones tournament with Harry, Ginny and Ron, but his lack of conviction had clearly been sensed by the Gobstones, for they squirted purple liquid at him far more frequently and vehemently than usual. Jasmine had been seated on the sofa chatting animatedly with Tonks, hugging her knees and looking very cheerful. Lupin and Mr Weasley talked earnestly at the other side of the room, and Mrs Weasley was demonstrating magical cooking to Hermione in the kitchen. It was a pleasant, almost cosy, scene, in which Sirius felt oddly ill at ease.

Thankfully, the night soon progressed, and eventually everyone declared their respective levels of exhaustion at close intervals, yawning their goodnights and departing to bed. Sirius and Lupin had been the last to leave. Lupin didn't sleep well at the best of times; Sirius assumed it was the restless wolf within him. He remembered the comfortable feeling that arose from sharing a dormitory with Lupin at Hogwarts; there was always someone to talk to or share your latest wild ideas with at the most bizarre nocturnal intervals. Sadly, Lupin had always been the sensible one, and most of these midnight revelations had ended not, as Sirius had hoped, with daring explorations of Hogwarts by night, but more often than not with Lupin asserting vaguely "maybe one day" before drifting off, lulled to sleep by Sirius' narration of his hypothetical adventures.

* * *

Sirius lay on his bed, fully clothed, surveying the room around him. The walls were dark green and heavy somehow, almost oppressive. To his left was a large wooden wardrobe that he had not dared to open since returning to the house for fear of its possible inhabitants. In front of him there was a black iron fireplace that still housed some ancient firewood, and to the right a small, decrepit sink beneath a large, spotted mirror. Beside the fireplace was a large, moth-eaten armchair with maroon velvet cushions. There had been portraits on the wall, but Sirius had removed them, preferring to sleep in a room that did not contain such visible and overt reminders of his chequered past. The window on his right was large with black velvet curtains that currently remained open, blending almost seamlessly with the dark, starless night outside. There was an aged grandfather clock in the corner that informed him of the time: half past midnight. The house around him had gradually become still and silent, and the thought that everyone else was sleeping peaceably did not console or comfort him. On the contrary, it only seemed to heighten his restlessness, his desire to break the silence around him. He forcibly prevented himself from lapsing into thoughts of the day's events, of Hestia, of the Order, of his life, of anything that might cause him distress or activity. He was nothing. His mind was empty.

Wrenching him from his apathy, there came a small shuffle outside the door. He sat bolt upright, grabbing his wand clumsily from his pocket and pointing it at the opening door. His hand trembled slightly. A figure appeared on the threshold, and he exhaled. He quickly placed his wand back in his pocket, feeling slightly foolish at the ease with which he had been startled.

"Jasmine."

She remained just behind the door, having closed it quietly. Sirius almost wished she had been smiling stupidly, naively, innocently at him. He wished she would show an expression that betrayed her perception of this as a romantic, risqué, midnight encounter. At least then he would have been irritated enough to send her away with a clear conscience.

"Jasmine, it's the middle of the night. You shouldn't be in my room, especially without knocking. Go back to bed."

She did not have such an expression, however. Apart from a small twitch of her mouth that did not reveal her teeth and barely parted her lips, she did not smile. She merely looked up at him with an expression that he could not quite fathom; half expectancy, half guilt. Or was it even that?

"Look, Jasmine," he said, guessing haphazardly at her reasons for appearing in his room. "You were upset earlier, and I hoped I managed to help you in some small way. But you can't just keep coming to me in the middle of the night – "

Wait. She had never come to him in the middle of the night before. Why did he have such a vivid memory of such an encounter? The realization stole over him like an icy breath, and his head was suddenly not the rational place it had been.

" – day, whichever, like this."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

_Don't be ridiculous,_ he told himself. _Don't pretend that you didn't nearly kiss her earlier. Don't be stupid enough to think that she didn't realize that, and make up some foolish excuse about midnight wanderings. And don't, for the love of Merlin, let her know that you dream about her! Dreamed. Dreamed. Once._

"Look, Jasmine," he said. _Why was she still silent? _"What happened earlier was stupid. God knows what it even was. Forget about it, and please don't come into my room like this again."

"Actually," she said suddenly, in a tone that was laced with hurt, "I was just coming to thank you for your '_help_ _in some small way'_ earlier."

Silence hung between them like a blanket, and Sirius felt as if he had been smothered with one. He cursed himself for being many things, often, but right now he cursed himself for being presumptuous and, to an extent, stupidly arrogant.

"Oh." _Yes, it did sound as lame as you feel._

"But if you want me to go, I will. Thank you for your help, Sirius, and I'll try not to bother you again."

She turned and reached for the doorknob.

"Jasmine, I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't realize. I thought – I don't know what I thought. I'm being stupid."

"Yes," she said simply. He almost grinned. She turned round again and looked at him.

"I did mean it though. You have been really nice to me, and I don't deserve it. I'm not just saying that because, you know, that's what people say when they're grateful. I mean it."

There was a slight pause, in which a crestfallen expression came over her face, then, suddenly:

"God, Sirius, I've been such an idiot!"

She flung herself down onto the armchair at the foot of his bed, her head in her hands.

"I am seriously embarrassed of myself. Do you ever just wish you could erase something completely from time altogether?"

He wasn't sure if that was a rhetorical question or not, but a pause suggested that she was not going to speak immediately.

"Many times daily," he replied. She almost smiled sympathetically, but then looked angry.

"See, there I am again, ranting on about my problems when so many people have worse! I'm so sorry, Sirius," she said earnestly. "Can you please just forget everything I've ever done for the last few weeks?"

He laughed.

"Not without the aid of a memory charm, I'm afraid," he said. "But I know what you mean. I think you're being a little hard on yourself, though, it's not – "

"No, don't tell me that. It's true. I have been an idiot and I am really, really sorry. Somehow a fourteen-year-old girl on the brink of the adolescent explosion has infiltrated my brain and seems to be causing damage in there. And out of it, too. I promise, it will stop. All the rows and the bitching and the temper and the…the going out, and stuff."

Something unspoken lingered in the air again, and Sirius worked hard to dissolve the image in his brain of Jasmine in drunken embraces in the park. She had almost blushed, and ran her fingers through her hair nervously.

"So, yeah, I mean it. I hereby solemnly swear to stop acting like a baby and an idiot."

Sirius smiled kindly. Not the most articulate of apologies, but its sincerity was apparent in every syllable. He knew she wouldn't want to be deterred from her "idiot" self-concept, and part of him admitted that yes, she had behaved like one at times. Then again, so had he. He couldn't think of the words to say in reply to her declaration, and the smile remained on his face. However, there were still many questions in his mind, and he decided to voice at least one.

"Do you know why you do it?" he asked.

"Do what?"

"Well, act like – in your words – 'a baby and an idiot'," he said.

"Oh, the usual," she said in a bored voice. "Troubled childhood, bad upbringing, hormones, PMS, peer pressure…are there any I've missed out?"

He frowned. "I was being serious."

"So was I," she said. "Well, I'm sure it's at least one of those. That's what everyone says, isn't it?"

He was uncomfortable, aware that she was not being serious, and that he would have to delve his way into the depths of her mind to reveal such hidden secrets. Then again, he wasn't quite sure of what such an exploration would yield, and whether he would want to find it.

"Okay," he said resignedly, sighing.

"Well, you're hardly perfect!" she retorted. "Look at you! Getting all huffy because I've interrupted your daydreaming, jumping to mad conclusions, being all uptight – not to mention whipping your wand out like a startled rabbit when the door opens."

"Rabbit? I resent that!" Sirius exclaimed, but chuckled. "Okay, fair enough, perhaps I do need to stop being so 'uptight', as you put it. I will try my utmost."

She smiled at him, a proper smile this time. Sirius was suddenly very aware that she was dressed in tartan pyjama bottoms and a red T-shirt, and looked nothing like the flowing-haired, silk-clad apparition that had appeared to him in his passionate dream. This discrepancy comforted him somewhat. Perhaps it had been just a random dream. _Not all dreams are meaningful_, he reminded himself. _I mean, there was that one with Remus in a skirt and the giant flobberwo – _shut up!

She yawned, hugging her knees. Something seemed to change in his surroundings and Sirius, at that moment, thought her more beautiful than he had at any point until now. Not for some absurdly clichéd reason like her vulnerability; she was not dependent, she was not fragile. Not even for her physical perfection; she was not perfect in any sense. Her hair was messy and unbrushed, and she had dark circles under her eyes, but at that moment Sirius, inexplicably, found her the most beautiful thing he had seen in a while.

"Anyway," she said, rising from her chair, "I should get back to bed, or I'll never get to sleep. Night." She smiled at him again and padded softly across the room.

Sirius saw her standing there, facing the door. He did not know what had suddenly come over him, but he knew that if he let her go away now, he would regret it. Suddenly, he was overcome with a desire to be close to her, close enough to understand her, to realize why she did what she did, why she had this effect on him. He wanted to understand.

"Wait," he said, without really realizing what he was going to follow that word with. She stood and regarded him levelly, her head cocked slightly to one side. Sirius strode across the room, and, with no regard for the consequences whatsoever, wrapped his arms around her. His lips found hers, and finally claimed the kiss that he had almost taken this afternoon as his hands gripped her waist tightly. She kissed him back for a few seconds, and then pulled away gently.

Jasmine only looked into his eyes for a few seconds, but in those few seconds his life was suddenly rent in two. Whatever fragments of coherence that had held it together dissolved. Whatever understanding he had of the world around him melted into thin air. Nothing made sense at all; half of him wanted to run away, half of him wanted to pull her back to him again and never let go until he understood every inch of her, of her mind and her soul, until he could translate her into him, write her language in flowing script across the inside of his skull.

She looked at him, and Sirius expected her either to run or to kiss him. She did neither. Suddenly, passionately, she wrapped her arms around his waist and clung to him, her head pressed into his chest. Her arms encircled him so tightly that he almost had to struggle for breath. It was as if she was trying desperately to crush every last drop, every atom of love from his bones and his body, like sun-warmed dew from a morning rose petal, to bleed it into her aching soul.

One final look, and she was gone.

* * *

Review! 


	20. Locket

**A/N: **Woohoo, Chapter 20. Quite an arduous one to write, but hopefully you'll like it. Please review and let me know what you think, because I've only started writing this again recently and need to know whether it's good enough to bother!

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, all HP characters belong to JK Rowling, but any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

Morning. True morning this time, not the dying, watered down version Jasmine was used to. The sun had recently risen and made the dingy girls' bedroom almost gleaming. It was pleasantly warm upon her bed, and she could hear birdsong shrill and clear from outside the window. On her right, Hermione and Ginny were still asleep, Ginny's hair spread like a flaming fan across her pillow, her red eyelashes flickering slightly as she breathed. Details like this Jasmine had never noticed before, being accustomed to rise last out of the entire household. Hermione's head was resting on a book atop her pillow, its pages crumpled under her cheek. Jasmine smiled. Her and Hermione had always differed in their tastes in bedtime reading: Hermione was eager to infiltrate and explore every corner of the magical world through various thick tomes and volumes, whereas Jasmine preferred to devote her pre-bedtime hours to retaining some aspects of Muggle culture through devouring the great classics of English literature.

Idly, and no doubt because he had been at the forefront of her mind as she slept, she wondered what Sirius' preference in bedtime reading would be. She stretched out in bed luxuriantly, her arms behind her head, and smiled; a true, full smile that stretched almost from ear to ear. She couldn't quite place the source of the smile, the reason for this alteration in her feelings. She admired him; she had always looked up to him as Harry's godfather and as a man who seemed to know all those things about life and the world that you would never have thought of or noticed yourself. Perhaps it was all those years in Azkaban that made him so similar to Harry, herself and their friends. Thirteen years of life experience had been snatched from Sirius, spent behind bars in a fortress so draining and disempowering that they may as well have been cut from his life. Perhaps this was why he acted like a man so much younger. And yet there were times where his experience was evident; a dark flicker behind the eyes, a shadow across his face, a tightening in his jaw at the mention of lost pleasures or opportunities all signified to Jasmine and, she did not doubt, to others, that the experience had paradoxically both preserved and aged him simultaneously.

_It may also be the fact that he is extremely handsome_, she thought, unable to prevent her smile from broadening further, and snuggling further down into her duvet. She wasn't quite sure how she felt or what would happen, but was happy. And relieved, relieved that someone she admired and simply liked did not think of her as worthless, immature, ridiculous.

The more such thoughts ambled lazily through her mind, the more she felt unable to return to pleasant and inconsequential dreams. She turned restlessly from side to side, still wearing a contented expression upon her face, but her mind was too active, and, try as she might, she could not induce it to slow down.

Resigned, Jasmine hooked her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She walked slowly across the creak-prone floorboards, eyeing Hermione and Ginny anxiously to ensure she did not wake them; she imagined with a smile that Ginny was probably enjoying pleasant dreams of Harry that she would not want disturbed.

She stood outside on the landing and ran her fingers through her hair. Curiously, time seemed to stand still in those few moments, and she was perfectly content just standing there enjoying the stillness surrounding her. There was a strange feeling of safety in the knowledge that everyone in the vicinity was unconscious of her presence, her movements.

She couldn't escape it. Permeating every inch of her was a desire for his company; a restless craving that she knew would not cease even if she attempted to distract herself with breakfast, or a novel. She had no intentions other than to be with him; right now she felt as if he was an extension of herself, that she would not be coherent until he was there. It was a bizarre feeling, but she felt as if her morning would make more sense if she saw Sirius.

With that thought, she tiptoed down the stairs to the second floor. She did not need to truly mask the sound of her presence until she reached the landing, the crossroads between downstairs and Sirius' bedroom. Without actually stopping to consider whether Sirius would be awake or not, she slowly pushed open his bedroom door.

Sirius was lying on his bed, half covered by the duvet which revealed his chest and shoulders, clad in a maroon T-shirt. His dark hair was strewn untidily across the pillow and his face. Jasmine could not make out his features; he was facing the window, away from her.

"Jasmine," he said, seemingly unsurprised. She, however, was startled, having thought he was asleep. He sat up slowly, crossing his arms around his knees and running his hand through his hair.

"You should be in bed," he said.

"Oh, charming," she said crossly, then took a step into his room and closed the door. "I couldn't get back to sleep. I woke up really early for some reason."

A flicker of a smile crossed his face.

"This isn't early, this is normal for most people."

"Oh really? Then how come everyone else is asleep?"

He paused.

"Because…it's the weekend."

She shrugged and walked over to his bed, perching on the end of it.

"Still, you shouldn't be in here. People would wonder what on earth you were doing."

She almost smirked. "Oh, relax. I just wanted to talk, that's all. I did have a date with Emily Bronte but it's too early in the morning to concentrate."

"Fair enough." He seemed to relax somewhat and leaned back against the headboard. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, this and that, you know. I didn't have a speech prepared, if that's what you mean – sorry."

There was a pause in which a smile crept over both their faces. For a few blissful seconds, Jasmine felt a slight thrill as his eyes met hers. Half of her wanted to lunge at him and kiss him all over his face, but the other half wanted to remain captivated in that visual embrace. She also felt curiously exposed, as if, in that one smile, she was betraying her feelings for him. Curious it was…as if he would somehow be able to peer between her lips, down the darkness of her throat to where her heart was quickening its pace in her chest at the sight of his face.

"Do you have any plans for today?" she asked him, to break the uncomfortable but somehow wonderful sensation of disclosure. He raised an eyebrow.

"As if," he said. "Well, I might go out for a bit."

"I thought you weren't allowed out? I mean, I know you came with us to the park that one time, but I thought that was a one-off," Jasmine said, rather concerned. She shuffled closer to him on the bed; it was somewhat uncomfortable having to sit on the end of it and keep looking over at him.

"To be honest," Sirius said, and there was a hint of annoyance in his voice that Jasmine didn't think was directed at her, "I don't think it matters to Voldemort whether I'm alive or not. Harry's not going to fall for his baiting trick twice. Besides, there are even advantages to it."

"Such as?"

"Well, the fact that Voldemort's _favourite _Death Eater Bellatrix couldn't pull off a simple murder not only once, but twice. It gives me a grim satisfaction to know that somewhere she's probably in a great deal of pain." His tone was light, but his face hardened. "Besides, any longer in this house and I think you'll have to start hiding sharp objects from me."

Jasmine suddenly, on impulse, reached out and brushed a strand of dark hair out of his eyes. She didn't know why. Perhaps because at that moment she felt a great deal of sympathy for Sirius, for the way he managed to conceal with such light-heartedness and humour something that was clearly eating away at him. He said nothing, only looked at her with those deep grey eyes, a hint of an inquisitive expression on his face. She was embarrassed, and looked down at her knees.

"I think Fred and George wanted us to go with them to Diagon Alley today," she said, to break the silence. "To show us their new premises. From what I hear, they're getting to be very successful."

"I don't doubt that they are," Sirius said. "People need some sort of comic relief at times like these."

Jasmine grasped the opportunity to voice a question that had been troubling her, mostly when she awoke in the darkness of the night, a time where every worry or fear that she possessed seemed to crawl up from the buried depths of her mind and dance, nauseatingly, around her head, inside her brain, infiltrating her body and seizing her with a sickening dread.

"But…the Order know what they're doing…what _He's_doing, don't they? I mean, they're one step ahead…they won't be caught off guard, right?" There was a touch of desperation in her voice that she tried to conceal but evidently failed; she could see Sirius' face soften into an expression of concern.

"No, don't look like that," she told him, for she knew that the answer he gave would not be the one to help her sleep at night. "I know you'll tell me it's not quite like that, but that's generally it, isn't it? You have so many sources of information, you must know at least vaguely what he's planning. It's like the police, they always manage to catch serial killers or rapists from seemingly no evidence, a murder's in the paper one day and the next, the guy has pleaded guilty and he's been sent away for life."

She knew she was rambling, but all her worry and concern seemed to be overflowing, as if the dam she had carefully constructed within her throat had fallen apart and released a flood of fear.

"You knew last time that he had that weapon, didn't you? And you have the Aurors, they're arresting Death Eaters. I know you aren't going to share any of the Order's secrets with me, but you must know…you have to know…"

Her voice cracked, her desperation only increased by the look of concern and sadness on Sirius' face.

"You don't know at all, do you?" she said, in a voice so soft that anyone further away from her than Sirius would have had to struggle to catch it.

Without a word, Sirius leaned forward and gently put his arms around her, placing her head against his shoulder. This gesture only made Jasmine feel more hopeless.

"It's not that we don't know anything," he said levelly. "It's just that we could never hope to anticipate his every move, he's far too skilled at covering his tracks. But we know enough, I think," he ended, with a slight satisfaction. She felt him kiss the top of her head, which comforted her, although also confused her. It seemed that the exact nature of their relationship was to remain a mystery to her, at least for now. However, her fears were alleviated somewhat, and she relaxed slightly.

"Well, I guess that's something, she said. "I suppose you can't really compare some thoughtless Muggle psychopath with the greatest Dark wizard of all time."

"No, you probably can't," Sirius said.

They remained in silence for a few moments while Jasmine wished silently that she could spend long hours with him like this, but perhaps with her in a less fragile emotional state. Eventually she pulled away and looked at him with a grateful and somewhat embarrassed smile. She tucked her hair behind her ear as she always did when nervous.

"Sorry, I just get worried sometimes," she said.

"We all do," Sirius replied. "Even me. Of course, I usually mask it by storming out of Order meetings or having shouting matches with Snape." He gave a wry smile.

"Yes, and then you say I have a temper!" she exclaimed.

"When have I ever said that you have a temper?"

She paused.

"Well, I'm sure you've at least thought it. And don't lie – I bet you have."

"Oh, I won't deny that I've thought it on several occasions. Perhaps it's the effect this house has on people."

"No, I've always had a temper," she smiled. "And I'm sure you have too. But I doubt it helps very much to have Snape around. He's probably to you what Draco Malfoy or Pansy Parkinson are to me. Particularly Pansy Parkinson, stupid pug-faced cow."

Sirius laughed. "Yes, Snape isn't exactly blessed in the looks department either. Perhaps that's where the bitterness originates."

"Helped, of course, by you nicknaming him _Snivellus,"_ Jasmine said.

"That was James!" Sirius said. "I had nothing to do with it."

"I'm sceptical. You probably invented other nicknames."

"Probably. But he deserved it."

"I wish we could come up with something as inventive for Malfoy," she said. "The best Ron can manage is "git". Not that he needs nicknames. What Malfoy needs is a good hex. Or possibly to be devoured at the hands of a large Acromantula."

Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, there was a knock at the door. They both jumped, turning their heads sharply towards the door.

"Sirius, breakfast is ready if you want some," came the voice of Mrs Weasley through the door.

"OK Molly, I'll be down in a minute," he said, jumping off the bed and moving towards the door. However, she did not open it, and Jasmine could hear footsteps retreating on the other side of the door. Sirius sighed.

That moment was embarrassing for Jasmine. The fact that they had both jumped, startled, and sprung to their feet suggested that they had been doing something illicit, wrong. They had not, of course; an idle conversation about Snape and Malfoy was hardly illicit, so why had the possibility of it being interrupted been so worrying?

"I should probably go," Jasmine said. She could hear movement in the house now; clearly most people had awoken and were also preparing for breakfast. She paused: she knew she should open the door a crack and check that nobody was outside, that nobody would see her emerging from Sirius' room. Yet the thought of doing so disgusted her. It made the past half an hour or so seem sordid and covert, as if her and Sirius were doing something dishonest. She did not want to think of it like that – of course they weren't.

And so, with a composed "I'll see you in a bit", Jasmine strode boldly to the door, opened it, and walked calmly out onto the landing.

* * *

She went up to her room to see if Hermione and Ginny were awake. Ten minutes later, she and Hermione walked downstairs to breakfast.

They entered the kitchen, and Jasmine saw that most of the house were already gathered around the table: Tonks, Mrs Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Lupin, Sirius, Ginny, Harry and Ron. Jasmine presumed that Fred and George were still asleep, gathering their strength for a brand new day of mischief making. She and Hermione sat down at the end of the table, and Mrs Weasley immediately sprang to her feet, returning a few seconds later armed with a frying pan and heaping bacon and sausages onto their plates. Jasmine looked up quickly and saw Sirius opposite her. His eyes met hers and they both looked away.

"Thanks, Mrs Weasley," she said.

The general topic of conversation around the table seemed to be Quidditch, and the arrival of the latest Cleansweep broomstick model in wizarding stores everywhere. Jasmine listened with only mild interest. She enjoyed Quidditch, but her interest waned when it came to analysing and discussing games and equipment in minute detail. She glanced up at Sirius again. He was looking down at his plate, but a second later he looked up, and his eyes met hers again. There was something marvellous about that gaze of his, and the way they could almost communicate without words, with a single look. Jasmine felt as if they were sharing some private secret in that glance across the table, and she was unable to prevent her face from breaking into a smile. He smiled back, and then looked away.

"Morning all." Fred and George had entered the room, fully clothed, to Jasmine's surprise.

"I thought you would still be in bed," she said.

"And waste valuable hours of inventing? Don't be absurd," Fred said, shaking his head and approaching the frying pan.

"Now, which of you kiddies is coming with us to Diagon Alley today?" George asked.

"I will," Ron said. "I want to see the shop."

"Well, it's still in progress, we're not officially opening for a couple of weeks, but you can help out for a bit," Fred said.

"I'll come," Ginny said brightly, spooning sugar over her cereal. "What about you, Hermione?"

Hermione seemed to be undergoing an internal battle. Jasmine could tell that half of her was intrigued with regards to Fred and George's inventions and magical experimenting, and the other half struggled to contain her disapproval of rule breaking and mischief making. Perhaps the memory of the Naked Necktie was still sore in her mind. She busied herself with buttering her toast, and said in a rather grumpy voice:

"Alright then. As long as it's a nice day."

Harry grinned. "I'll come along," he said. "I want to have a look at this new Cleansweep."

"You have a Firebolt!" Ron exclaimed indignantly.

"Yeah, but it can't hurt to check out the competition," he said.

* * *

Jasmine was extremely impressed by Fred and George's new premises. She hadn't quite known what to expect, but although the shelves weren't completely stacked yet, the general décor and atmosphere was enough even to impress Hermione. The walls were painted bright purple with gold stars, and there were various vivid and brilliant displays lining them, including the skiving snackboxes and a collection of magical garments which so far consisted of the Naked Necktie, Headless Hats and many lurid green pairs of socks which Hermione had eyed with some trepidation. Jasmine had marvelled at the sheer brilliance of many of Fred and George's inventions, and found it hard to believe that they had scraped only a few OWLs each with their magical knowledge and innovation. They had been roped into helping Fred and George set up displays and unpack boxes ("Exploitation, that's what this is. Just because I'm their brother…" Ron had muttered), but Jasmine did not mind. It was quite an exciting task; you could never be sure what would spring out of a box next.

"Fred, there's a fake wand in with the Instant Baldness shampoo. Where shall I put it?" she asked, waving the wand around a little too vigorously. It promptly turned into a large rubber chicken and squawked so loudly in her ear that she dropped it in fright. The chicken lay on the floor and gave a mournful exclamation, twitching.

"Oh, just shove it in that big box there," Fred said, gesturing to a large gold bin containing a great number of fake wands.

"How do you come up with half this stuff?" Harry asked, marvelling at a bottle of Acute Acne-Inducer ("The perfect way to ruin your enemy's day!").

"Well, in most cases we think of people we really dislike - " George began.

" – often Umbridge," Fred added. "She's been such an inspiration. We owe her so much."

" – and think of what we'd like to do to them."

"Who were you thinking of in this case, then?" Harry asked.

"Malfoy," chorused the twins simultaneously, their faces breaking into wicked grins. "That acne would show up a treat on his pasty face."

The others laughed as they continued to stack shelves. Hermione was standing in the window of the shop, helping Ron to position a large purple poster against the glass.

"Is that – _Sirius_?" she suddenly exclaimed. The others looked round. Jasmine craned her neck to peer out of the window. Sure enough, a figure that bore a great resemblance to Sirius sat at one of Florean Fortescue's tables opposite the Weasleys' joke shop. He was with a woman clad in light pink robes.

"I thought he wasn't allowed out?" Hermione asked, in a very concerned voice.

"I reckon he is now," Fred said. "George and I heard them all on the old Extendables. He kicked up a bit of a fuss and eventually they decided that any plans Voldemort has for baiting Harry, he could do with anyone, not just Sirius, so it's a bit pointless."

Jasmine looked over at Harry and saw him sighing. She could imagine that it probably wasn't the best way to brighten his cheery summer's day: mentioning that Lord Voldemort might be planning to lure him into a deadly trap.

"Yeah, well I'm not stupid enough to fall for that one again," Harry said bitterly, ripping open a box of Pygmy Puffs with rather too much vehemence; they began to shriek loudly and quiver.

"I still don't think he should be going out. Especially in broad daylight to Diagon Alley, _anyone _could – "

"Oh, come on Hermione, give it a rest," Ron said. "He's been cooped up in that house for bloody ages, any normal person would have gone half mad by now."

Hermione shot him a reproachful look.

"Well, it looks like Hestia is giving him all the remedy he needs," George smirked, disappearing into a back room and emerging again with another box, marked "FRAGILE". Jasmine's eyes narrowed, and she peered out of the window again, hoping to see signs that perhaps Sirius was being nice to Hestia because he was now about to drop the bombshell that he didn't want to see her again, as he had fallen head over heels for Jasmine and couldn't live without her and was about to rush over and sweep her up in his arms –

"Jasmine? Can you give us a hand?" Fred asked, gesturing to a large pile of Extendable Ears that had become extremely tangled and clearly needed unravelling. She sat down on the floor, legs crossed, and proceeded to do so.

_Don't be silly, _she said. _You wouldn't _want _him to sweep you off your feet. You like your feet where they are. On the ground. Besides, it's not like he's going to throw away his oh-so-perfect relationship with Hestia over a stupid kiss – two kisses – with you. _

She smiled to herself. It felt as if she was concealing a glowing secret inside her chest; a golden locket nestled between her ribcage full of memories and thoughts of Sirius. And the way he had kissed her. Nobody else could suspect anything; it was all hers. She knew something the others did not, and she grinned again to herself as she untangled the Extendable Ears.

* * *

An hour later, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Jasmine emerged from _Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes _into the bright sunshine of Diagon Alley. Sirius waved at them from his table, and they went over to him.

"Fred and George up to no good as usual?" Sirius grinned, but Jasmine could tell that he thought their shop an excellent venture. Probably the sort of thing he and James would have liked to establish one day.

"Some of their stuff's amazing!" Ron said, his voice still full of awe.

Jasmine looked down at Hestia. She was sitting, staring determinedly at her sundae.

"Afternoon, Hestia," she said brightly. Hestia looked up, and gave her a quizzical glance.

"Oh, sorry. Hello, everyone," she said, avoiding Jasmine's gaze.

"How are you? Everything going well at the Ministry?" she persisted.

Hestia frowned.

"I'm afraid I'm not in a position to tell you that," she said coldly. Jasmine hid the half-smile that was threatening to break out on her face.

"Oh, OK. I was just wondering, you know, how things are. I like your robes, by the way. Are they those new linen ones from Madam Malkin's?"

Hestia stared at her, apparently lost for words.

"Yes," she replied, clearly wrong-footed.

"Lovely," Jasmine said cheerily. "Nice ice cream, Sirius?" she asked, turning to look at him. She caught his eye, and noticed a similarly perplexed expression on his face, which amused her.

"Yes, thanks," he said. Jasmine smiled broadly at him, and she could tell he was unable to prevent himself returning the smile. They beamed at each other for a split second, and then Jasmine turned back to the others.

"Sirius, you really shouldn't – " Hermione began, and Harry shot her a warning glance.

"So, where are we off to now?" Jasmine asked quickly.

"Quality Quidditch Supplies!" Ron said excitedly. Hermione scowled.

"Oh, stop being so miserable, Hermione. I'm sure Jasmine will go with you to Flourish and Blotts," Ron said. There was a slightly awkward pause as Sirius smiled at them all.

"Hey – is that Malfoy?" Harry asked suddenly. Everyone turned to look, and Jasmine spotted a flash of white-blond hair disappearing through the crowd down a dingy alleyway that she knew led to Knockturn Alley.

"Looks like it," Ginny said. "What do you think he's doing?"

"I don't know, but I doubt it's anything good," Harry said, still staring at the space where Malfoy had been.

"Come on, let's go and see," Ron said.

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed. "Your mother would have a fit if she knew – "

But Harry and Ron had already set off at a brisk pace. Hermione did not look pleased. Sensing that it was time for them to depart and distract Hermione with a book, Jasmine turned to Sirius and Hestia.

"Well, see you later then," she said to Sirius. "Bye, Hestia!" she said, giving her a wide smile and a wave. The others said a brief goodbye before departing, leaving the bemused couple with their sundaes.

With a final backward glance to catch Hestia's confused expression, Jasmine linked arms with Ginny and strolled calmly across the street, a slight smile playing across her face.

* * *

Right, off you go, click the Review button. 


	21. Glass

**A/N: **This story is becoming steadily more fun to write. I keep having odd flashes of inspiration while cycling home and have to grab a pen when I get home and immediately write down sentences - or sometimes whole conversations - that have randomly come into my head. I think it may be taking a dangerous hold over my life. But please review just so I know that I'm actually writing it for someone...otherwise it becomes quite disheartening, really!

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, all HP characters belong to JK Rowling. But any you don't recognize are mine.

* * *

"I wish I could do something worthwhile with my life," Ron said dejectedly, rolling his wand along the carpet and looking sullen. "Fred and George haven't even _opened _yet and already they've made hundreds of galleons just through mail order."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Hermione snapped. "There are far more worthwhile things for you to do with your life than running a joke shop."

"What, like a career in Muggle relations?" he sneered. "No thanks."

"I thought you wanted to be an Auror," Hermione said, ignoring his snide remark.

"If I get the grades," Ron mumbled gloomily.

"I don't see why you wouldn't," Harry said, clearly trying to inject a lighter note into the conversation. "At least you didn't pass out during your History of Magic exam."

"Wouldn't have made a difference if I had," Ron said. "I only wrote about three lines."

Hermione shook her head in disapproval.

"I lent you my notes!" she said, as if this automatically constituted exam success.

"Oh, stop bickering," Ginny said in a bored voice. "And Hermione, your notes were three and a half feet high, he probably didn't read all of them."

"Anyway, it's History of Magic," Jasmine pointed out. "It doesn't matter, especially if you want to be an Auror. The only scenario in which you'd need to be worried is if you were planning on applying for the History of Magic teaching post."

"No point," Harry said. "It'd never be vacant – Binns is a ghost, after all."

"Yes, but I've always kind of hoped that one day Dumbledore might realize that Binns's lessons are the aural equivalent of drinking a Draught of Living Death, and hire someone else," Jasmine replied wistfully.

"No chance," Ron said. "Binns must be dead cheap to have. I mean, what do ghosts need galleons for?"

"True."

They were sitting up in the attic of Grimmauld Place where Sirius kept Buckbeak. The Hippogriff was curled up in the corner, asleep, his vast wings spread across the floor. Every now and then he would stir and raise his magnificent head, and Harry would toss a dead mouse to him. It was evening, but the sun still lingered on in the pale blue sky, its light filtering through the dusty window into the room. Several armchairs had been conjured in the room, and Jasmine thought that they were probably part of Sirius' attempt to have others help out in feeding and cleaning Buckbeak.

She was sitting in the armchair nearest the window, gazing blankly out at the tall houses surrounding Grimmauld Place, their industrial mass interspersed sporadically with the green, feathery branches of trees. She always expected to see rolling hills and lush countryside when she looked out of that window, because it overlooked the magically enlarged garden which was surrounded on three sides by acres of woodland and grass. Unfortunately, the enchantment did not seem to permeate to the upper storey of the house, and so the view from here betrayed the ugly reality of their surroundings.

As Ron marvelled at his brothers' magical expertise, Jasmine's mind wandered and landed, as it so often did these days, on Sirius. There was a sort of bubbling excitement in the pit of her stomach at the thought that he was just downstairs, that she could easily just go down those two flights of stairs and see him. Yet, at the same time, she felt bitter, knowing that if she did see him, she would only end up betraying how strongly she felt for him. She wanted nothing more than to enter the kitchen downstairs, where she knew he would probably be, and let him surround her in his arms. Sighing, she turned back to the others.

"You don't reckon he's planning something, do you?" Ginny asked. Jasmine surmised that they were discussing Malfoy.

"I just don't know," Harry said. "I mean, we know Malfoy is no stranger to Borgin and Burkes, he probably goes in there a lot. Birthday presents for his family and stuff like that…"

"But the way he was talking," Ron said, looking darkly at Harry, "it was like he was really serious about something. He kept slamming his hand on the counter."

"As if we haven't got enough to worry about," Jasmine sighed. "Now Malfoy."

"At least his dad's locked up in Azkaban," Ginny said.

"Yeah, but for how long?" Harry said. "What with the Dementors gone, and everything."

"I wonder how they're guarding it now," Hermione mused. "I mean, I imagine they'll be using Anti-Disapparation Jinxes as a basic precaution, but on top of that – maybe a Captum Curse? But even those are breakable…I imagine some sort of Charm would be involved; jinxes are quite short-term and they often wear off after a - "

Ron yawned loudly. Hermione glared at him.

"What's a Captum Curse?" Jasmine asked.

"It's an immensely complicated spell," Hermione replied at once, in the voice she reserved for answering teachers' questions word-for-word, "that involves binding not only the body but also the mind of the person it is performed on, preventing escape by both physical and mental means. The Ministry were considering registering it as one of the Unforgivable Curses at one point. But it needs a tremendously skilled witch or wizard to perform it and I don't reckon many even know about it. I only know because I've been reading up on – "

" – something obscure that we will never need to know about," Ron finished for her.

"I don't reckon the Ministry would resort to a nearly-Unforgivable Curse, though," Ginny said quickly, before Hermione could utter an angry retort at Ron. "Otherwise they might as well just Avada Kedavra everyone instead of putting them in prison."

"I wish they would in Lucius Malfoy's case," Jasmine muttered. "Might bring him Malfoy down a bit and stop him making snide comments about that time he caught me and Seamus. _Yes _I know that was a mistake," she sighed, before Hermione and Ginny could laugh. "But we all know emotions run high at the Yule Ball…"

"Yes, but they don't seem to have done since," Ginny said. "There must be _someone _you like. At Hogwarts, I mean."

"Oh, please let's not start this again," Jasmine said, feeling herself blush slightly. "Just cause you're all paired off…"

"None of us are paired off," Hermione pointed out. "Well, except Ginny."

Jasmine smiled. In her mind, she considered Ron and Hermione a couple, and the same went for Ginny and Harry, despite Ginny's current attachment to Dean Thomas. She always forgot that they were all too timid to admit it.

"Yeah, well, that's what I meant," she said. "Anyway, back to Malfoy." She shot Ginny a warning glance that quite clearly forbade her to mention the subject of boys again.

"Yeah, no more of this _girl talk,_" Ron said in disgust, glancing furtively at Harry.

"Personally, I'd feel a lot safer in my bed at night if the Order would just tell us what's going on," Ginny said. "After those Muggle killings, and Bellatrix, and now Malfoy. You-Know-Who must be planning something, I just wish we knew what. Sometimes I wonder if the Order even know."

"Sirius seems to think they know enough," Jasmine said, without really thinking.

"He does?" Hermione asked, an eyebrow raised. "When did he say that?"

"I can't remember," she said quickly. "But I'm sure he mentioned it once. And I reckon he's probably right. They did last time, didn't they? With the Prophecy and everything…"

"Yeah, but they didn't bother to tell me any of it," Harry said hotly. "And look what happened then."

Jasmine remembered all of it. She remembered Harry's screams as if it had been yesterday. Sometimes, occasionally, she would revisit the Department of Mysteries in her nightmares, but she would never admit it to anyone; she knew Harry had to bear dreams far worse than hers, and part of her didn't want to drag the subject back up again. It was an unwelcome memory, like an ugly childhood photograph or a photo of a dead relative who left things unreconciled. But the memory was still vivid, still raw. She had been lying at the foot of the stone steps before the dais, clutching an arm that felt limp and broken, the taste of blood in her mouth from a gash struck by a Death Eater's wand on her cheek. She had seen the arc of Sirius' back as he fell through the veil, and the room had seemed to stand still as everyone held their breath, waiting for him to return from the other side. A suspended, frozen tableau, like a sepia photograph or an ancient oil painting. Now that she considered it, she realized many would have known he would not, and found it strange that they should have stood so still and calm. Then again, she couldn't remember many of their faces. Her gaze had been directed at the veil. And Harry.

She remembered the pain that contorted Harry's features as he screamed, and had felt hot tears burn in her eyes as the realization hit her too. He had tried to wrench free from Lupin's grasp. He had fled after Bellatrix, and Jasmine had screamed for him not to go. Lupin had rushed over to her as the other Aurors helped those who were wounded. She had choked something incomprehensible through tears, clinging to Lupin's arm. Acute exhaustion, relief and pain had erupted like a volcano within her chest, and the tears that coursed down her cheeks were its lava. Now she thought about it, she compared herself to a child that finds itself in an unknown situation; a baby without its mother for the first time; she had not understood. The rest of a memory was a blur, until Dumbledore arrived in it. Until Sirius arrived in it.

But she would not romanticise. She had not wept for Sirius because she felt for him as she did now. She had wept for the unknown, the frustration, the fear, and perhaps Sirius' fall backwards through the ragged veil was the physical embodiment of that. Nonetheless, she remembered it well, and fully understood the anger that laced Harry's words like poison.

She wondered if Sirius dreamed about it. She could imagine him dreaming about it, tossing and turning, caught in a restless onslaught of harrowing memories from which he was unable to free himself. Again, she felt a pang of sympathy and a wish that she could understand him, or at least venture further into his heart and mind. Something drew her to him, and she couldn't quite place what, though she had tried her utmost at times like these. Once again she felt a desire to be in his presence, if even just to see him and make sure he was around.

"I'm just going to get a drink," she announced to the others. She wanted to think they had been talking about the Order, but the truth was, she had barely heard a word of their conversation. She had been lost in her thoughts. Jasmine had always thought of that as a dead metaphor; surely it wasn't possible to lose oneself among something so abstract and shapeless as thoughts. Now she began to see how such a thing could happen, especially when thoughts seemed to adopt the physical characteristics of a human, to become brown flesh and long, dark hair. She could see how she could become lost among them, just as she could become lost among him.

"Anyone want anything?"

"Bring some Butterbeer up," Ron said. "I think there's a new crate in the larder."

"But don't attempt a Chilling Charm," said Harry, grinning. "We don't want it to turn into sour milk again."

Jasmine gave a sarcastic smile. "Yes, yes, very funny," she said.

She left the room with a sigh and closed the door behind her. Paradoxically, she felt peaceful, but simultaneously restless. She knew she would, until she saw Sirius. With rather more haste than necessary, she hurried downstairs, passing Lupin who gave her a tired smile as he retreated up to his room. The sitting room door was open. Mr and Mrs Weasley were sitting on the sofa with cups of tea; Mr Weasley was still wearing his travelling cloak and looked exhausted. Tonks was reading _Witch Weekly _in an armchair, her hair long and purple. No sign of Sirius.

Jasmine walked along the hallway and saw that the kitchen door was closed. Somewhat apprehensively, she opened it slowly.

Sirius and Hestia were sitting at the kitchen table. He was wearing a black silk shirt, and Jasmine felt a tinge of irritation at the thought that he had probably donned his best outfit for her arrival. She was clad in her usual bright pink robes, her hair tied up in a sleek black ponytail. They looked up as she entered; Hestia still had a silly smile on her face which had obviously been directed at Sirius a second previously, but it soon vanished as she observed Jasmine.

"Oh, hello Hestia," Jasmine said politely. "I didn't know you were visiting us tonight."

"Why would you know?" Hestia asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Sirius might have said," said Jasmine, shrugging. She opened the door to the cavernous larder behind Hestia and located the Butterbeer Ron had mentioned. "Would you like a drink?" she asked Hestia.

"No thank you," she replied stiffly, without turning to look at Jasmine.

"You alright, Sirius?" Jasmine said as she tried to haul the crate of Butterbeer off the shelf. Unfortunately, Mrs Weasley appeared to have bought a larger supply than usual, and it was difficult to manoeuvre. "Can you give me a hand?" she asked him, struggling to move the box of 30 Butterbeer bottles. Clearly Fred and George were drinking more than usual these days with the added pressure of retail.

Sirius rose from the table, but as he approached her, she unfortunately gave the crate too forceful a tug, and it fell onto the floor. There was the dreadful sound of shattering glass, and the corner of the crate smashed into her foot.

"Dammit!" she cursed. "Ow!"

"Oh, you ridiculous girl," Hestia snapped. "_Reparo." _The glass formed itself into bottles once more, intact. "_Completo." _The Butterbeer returned to the bottles.

"Sorry," Jasmine said meekly, looking up at Sirius, who was standing in front of her now. His eyes met hers, and she felt a jolt in her stomach. Thousands of unspoken words seemed to rush between them at that minute, and Jasmine felt a thrill as she realized that, had Hestia not been in the room, Sirius would have grabbed her and probably knocked her backwards into the larder with the fervour of his kisses. It took a great deal of force to wrench herself away from that moment and that knowledge.

"I'll just take a few bottles, then," she said, and did so, forcing herself not to look up at Sirius, for she feared that she wouldn't be able to look away again. She attempted to lift the box back up.

"I'll help you," he said. He seemed to take great care not to touch her as he did so.

"Thanks."

"Is your foot alright?" Sirius asked. It throbbed unpleasantly, but she ignored it.

"Yes," she said. Then, remembering her manners: "Thank you."

Without looking at him, she picked up five bottles and made for the door.

"You're a lucky girl, Hestia," Jasmine said cheerily, patting her on the shoulder as she left. "What a gentleman he is."

She shut the door behind her with a grin on her face, which only widened as she heard Hestia muttering suspiciously about her as it closed.

"I'm sure she's up to something. Why is she being so nice to me? I bet her and those Weasley twins are planning something."

"Oh, give it a rest, Hestia," Sirius said in a bored voice. "Not everyone is out to get you, you know."

Suddenly the world seemed a very happy place to Jasmine Reynolds.

* * *

Review please. 


	22. Fire

Jasmine awoke the next morning feeling agitated. She had dreamed that she was standing in front of the veil in the Department of Mysteries, and kept pulling it back and peering at what was on the other side, which kept changing: first it was Sirius and Hestia, smiling and wearing T-shirts with Butterbeer bottles on, then it was Sirius and herself, dressed in pink gowns.

She kicked off the duvet and lay, perfectly still, on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She knew what was bothering her. Sirius and Hestia. Admittedly not wearing Butterbeer T-shirts, but that couple all the same. She was thoroughly confused as it was with regards to her feeling for Sirius; she didn't need Hestia in the picture. The more she considered the matter, the more irritated she became. What was he playing at? Why was he still with Hestia? This then caused her to consider a horrible possibility that made her skin crawl and her stomach sink: surely he wasn't just playing with her feelings, using her when he needed some excitement in the time before Hestia's next visit?

But this explanation didn't quite seem to fit into place either. There had been the way he looked at her; last night had only been one example. The way he snapped at Hestia. Surely he would never have done those things had he not felt something for her. Whatever it was that he felt, however he saw her, Jasmine was sure it amounted to more than a – she hesitated to use the phrase – "bit on the side". However, the matter still worried and perplexed her, and she was unable to return to sleep. It was too early for the others to rise just yet, and she spent many agitated minutes with thoughts tossing and turning in her mind like waves on a storm-strewn ocean.

-------------------

"I cannot believe we go back to school in less than two weeks," Ron moaned, poking his cereal dolefully.

"What I cannot believe," Hermione said crossly, "is that we've been forced to endure weeks of suspense in this so-called holiday because our OWL results don't arrive until near the end!"

"The later the better, as far as I'm concerned," Harry said gloomily.

"Me too, when it comes to Divination and History of Magic," Jasmine said, in a similar tone. "And Charms, actually. Though with the stupidly excessive amount of revision I did I'll be pretty upset if I don't get an E, at least. It's not my fault I'm clumsy."

"You'll be fine," Ginny said breezily as she entered the room in her pinstriped pyjamas. Mr and Mrs Weasley had gone to work, and Lupin and Tonks had gone off on "Order business", though Jasmine was sure she had seen them holding hands as they Apparated out of the house.

A few minutes later, there was another arrival to the breakfast table in the form of Sirius, looking as if he hadn't slept well. _That makes two of us,_ Jasmine thought wryly, with a pang of annoyance at the fact that he was the reason she had dark circles under her eyes.

"Morning all," Sirius said, sitting down and helping himself to the plate of toast that Mrs Weasley had left out. There was a general grunt of greeting from everyone, most of whom seemed too tired or dejected to respond cheerfully.

"What a charming bunch you all are," said Sirius sarcastically.

"Easy for you to say, you don't have OWL results and _school _soon," Ron said in disgust.

"I'm quite looking forward to it," Hermione said brightly. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Of course _you _are. You'll get all Os at OWL, and I bet you can't wait for our first piece of homework."

Hermione did not reply, and Jasmine suspected this was because Ron was right.

"At least you're just waiting for the results," Ginny pointed out. "I have to _take _the stupid things this year."

"I wouldn't worry," Sirius laughed, "James and I never did any work and still did fine."

"Bully for you," Ron said grumpily.

"Too busy chasing girls?" Ginny giggled.

"Something like that," Sirius said. "Chasing girls, chasing Snape…same thing, really."

They all laughed, except Jasmine, who was rapidly becoming bored and irritated with the general atmosphere of gloom and the reminder that her results would arrive soon. There was also the horrible thought that a return to Hogwarts would mean parting from Sirius, which she did not want to do, however frustrated he was making her.

"I'm off," she said, getting up from the table and putting her plate away. "I think I'll go out for a bit."

She couldn't bring herself to glance at Sirius; his nonchalance and joking manner only infuriated her because he was seemingly indifferent to her frustration.

----------------

"You must be sick of me ranting about myself by now," Jasmine sighed, stirring her frappuccino absent-mindedly with its straw. She looked up. "Actually, that was a stupid thing to say because it sounds like I want you to reply with 'No, of course not, it's fine'. Which I don't." She sighed. "I really am sorry, it's just when things get on my mind like this I tend to fixate on them and until I've rambled my heart out, they don't go away."

Tom smiled.

"Well – perfectly sincerely, I might add – I can say that I don't mind. I like listening to you talk, anyhow. Even if it does annoy me that he treats you like that."

"See, that's the thing," she said, suddenly animated. "From an observer's point of view, like yours, it just seems that he's messing me around. But because I know him, I can't help thinking that he's not that cruel. I just wish I knew what he _was."_

"Missing out on a lot of things, I think," Tom said. She smiled.

"I wish that was true," she said. "But he's probably better off staying detached. I'm not the kind of person anyone wants to involve themselves with right now."

"Maybe not," Tom said. "Maybe that's the problem."

She frowned. "How do you mean?"

"Well, the way I see it," he said, "is that right now he knows that you're feeling a bit vulnerable, that your emotions are all over the place. Maybe that's why he thinks he can just carry on with his girlfriend because he thinks you'll always be there for when he gets bored of her. I don't mean that he's taking advantage of you, but that he has nothing to push him to commit to you because he thinks you'll always be around."

A shadow crossed Jasmine's face.

"That's true…" she said thoughtfully. "Oh God, I hope he doesn't think I've been throwing myself at him and that he can come back whenever he wants."

"I doubt you've been throwing yourself at him," Tom said. "But maybe you have to let him know somehow that you won't put up with this."

"Because I won't," Jasmine said, as if a sudden realization had arisen from the depths of her mind. "You're right. Why should I wait around for him to make his stupid mind up? And besides, he has a girlfriend."

She started to undergo an internal moral battle as various images flickered across her mind: Jason kissing another girl by the fountain in the park, Hestia's adoring gaze fixed on Sirius' face across the breakfast table, the time she opened the bathroom door at a house party to discover her then-boyfriend stark naked on the floor, wrapped around another girl…She blinked forcefully.

"I don't want to be the other girl," she said quietly. "I know how it feels to lose someone to the other girl. And I hate Hestia, but she doesn't deserve that."

They were sitting in a coffee shop in central London, occasionally watching passers-by and speculating as to their life histories (one of Jasmine's favourite occupations). Feeling as if she needed to escape the dark, cramped oppressions of Grimmauld Place, Jasmine had called Tom. At the minute he seemed like a breath of fresh air in a world that had become stagnant with frustration, lethargy and suppressed pain. He wouldn't over-analyse exam performance in an attempt to predict how they'd do in their OWLs; he wouldn't talk endlessly about subjects like Quidditch that right now seemed meaningless; and Jasmine felt that a discussion of Muggle matters would be a pleasant interlude to her somehow gloomy summer days.

"Anyway, enough about that," she said brightly. "I think I've figured it all out. For now, anyway. You were going to tell me about Oxford?"

Talking to Tom, Jasmine found, was like looking through a window into a future that she could have had. University, interviews, accommodation, student nights…it all seemed alien to her, yet if it hadn't been for that piece of parchment stamped with the Hogwarts crest that had arrived on her doorstep 5 years ago, it could have been her reality. Of course, she loved Hogwarts, but sometimes she wondered whether she would have survived better in the Muggle world. As it was, she seemed to be trapped between the two, especially during the holidays.

"So what are your plans for the future?" he asked her later. "Any ideas?"

She suddenly became more alert, knowing that she would have to lie and avoid any awkward questions.

"Oh, you know," she said vaguely. "GCSE results, then A levels, then we'll see. Maybe university."

"What about career-wise?"

"To be honest, I have no idea," she said, truthfully this time. "I'd like to write." Again, truthful. She had always fantasised about becoming an Auror, but this now seemed a distant dream, especially after Bellatrix's attack where she had been able to do nothing. She gazed absently out of the window, watching a young couple strolling past, hand in hand, and sighed.

"You must like him a lot," Tom said. She looked up.

"Why?"

"Because you've started sighing when couples walk past. That's never good."

She laughed wryly.

"Oh, God," she moaned, banging her head on the table. "What is wrong with me?"

A couple of hours later, Jasmine and Tom were back in Grimmauld Place, walking idly along the pavement towards number 12. As they reached number 13, Jasmine stopped.

"Thank you for today," she said. "I'm sorry I bored you with all this rubbish about Sirius. One day I'll be able to have a decent conversation without mentioning him." She put her hands in her pockets and leaned against the gate of number 13.

"Don't be silly. We had several decent conversations," Tom reminded her, running his fingers through his hair, which Jasmine noticed had become lightened by the sun. "There was that one about coffee…and books…and university…" He noticed the grin spreading across her face. "Okay, it sounds boring now that I list them, but I thought they were definitely decent conversations."

"I suppose, yes. But I mean it, thank you."

There was a brief silence as she smiled at him, squinting slightly against the bright summer sun which was warm on her bare shoulders.

"I would invite you in," she said, gesturing towards the house, "but my family are actually crazy and I don't think you're quite ready to witness the extent of them."

Tom laughed, nodding.

"Okay then," he said. "I'll probably see you again soon, we have to go to that restaurant I told you about."

"Yes. Definitely," she said brightly. He reached out and hugged her and she smiled into his shoulder, her eyes glancing across to the window of number 12 which she knew he couldn't see. For a second she thought she saw a dark-haired figure at the window, watching, but she couldn't be sure and pushed the thought away. As Tom turned his back to her and walked away, she lingered for a minute, taking in the scene around her. Refusing to dwell on the fleeting image of Sirius at the window, she smiled to herself as she thought about her day with Tom, and ran her fingers through her hair. Sighing happily, she turned and walked up the path to number 12, feeling stronger than she had for weeks.

-------------

"Hello all," Jasmine said brightly, strolling into the sitting room. Tonks was lounging on the sofa, perusing the _Daily Prophet_. Sirius sat on an armchair, his gaze averted. She sat down next to Tonks and stretched her legs out luxuriantly, smoothing her dress.

"Hey Jas. What've you been up to today?" Tonks asked.

"Just went out for coffee with a friend," she said. "And yourself?"

"Oh, you know," Tonks shrugged. "Order stuff, went out for a walk…mostly leaving those two to it." She gestured at Sirius. Jasmine felt a pang of jealousy ripple through her at the thought of Sirius having spent the day with Hestia, but her face did not betray it. She searched her mind for something to say that would sound normal, not forced in any way, but was spared the effort by the entrance of Hermione.

"Jasmine," she said. "Hello. Do you want some tea? I'm just making some."

"I would love nothing more," she said cheerfully. "I'll come help you. Do you want some, Tonks? Sirius?"

"Not for me, thanks," Tonks said. Sirius merely grunted, glancing furtively at the two of them.

"I'll take that as a no then," Jasmine said, following Hermione into the kitchen.

"How are you, Hermione?" she asked, searching the larder for the teabags. "Good day?"

"Yeah, not bad," she said. "Ron was complaining about OWL results _again_. I wish he'd just stop it, he's not the only one that's worried, you know. I think it's rather selfish of him."

Jasmine smiled inwardly, thinking that Ron probably had more to worry about than Hermione did. She watched her best friend arranging mugs on the tabletop, and felt a sudden warmth and affection for her.

"Hermione," she said. Hermione raised her eyebrows expectantly. "I love you, you know. I really do."

Hermione gave a slightly puzzled smile.

"I know you do, Jas. But thank you. I love you too."

"No, but I mean it. I'm really sorry for everything, I've been a really bad friend and I should have listened to you about everything, and…well, I'm just sorry," she finished lamely. Hermione smiled.

"You are silly. We all make mistakes," she said. "I'm not denying that you have acted strangely at times…but you haven't been a bad friend. And you know I'm always here for you."

"I know. And the same goes for you," Jasmine said. "God, look at us, we should be in a film. Come here." She hugged Hermione, feeling inexplicably about to cry. In her frenzy of emotions and angst, she had momentarily forgotten the importance of the people who had put up with her and looked after her, the people who had been her friends since the early days of Hogwarts. "Now, that's my daily dose of sentimentality out of the way," she said as they broke apart and Hermione returned to pouring tea.

"Right, well I am going to go and read," she said. "I simply must finish _A History of Wizarding Transportation: Magical Means and Methods_, there's so much I want to discuss with Professor Flitwick when we get back to school."

"OK. Well I am going to eat, I'm starving. I'll come up in a bit," Jasmine said. Hermione hurried brightly out of the room, and Jasmine chuckled to herself at her eagerness. She sat down at the kitchen table and sipped her tea idly, wondering what Tom would be doing, wondering if he thought her completely self-centred for talking about herself so much, wondering if she would miss this gloomy house when she returned to the lofty spaces of Hogwarts castle. She located some biscuits in the larder and continued to sit, pensively, while eating, until the packet was somehow empty.

Spinning uncomfortably throughout her mind was the unpleasant realization that she could not continue as she was. Try as she might, she could not feasibly suggest that precious moments of Sirius-related happiness outweighed crushing hours of Sirius-related angst, worry, pain, stress and fear. Such moments of joy were indeed precious, so precious that they were becoming rare. She caught sight of her reflection in the ornate mirror opposite, and sighed at the sight of the dark circles that had become commonplace underneath her lower lashes. She was tired, physically and mentally, from pursuing something that she was not even certain about. What hurt most was the hollow ache of emptiness, the feeling that life without Sirius was a grey, bleak expanse not worth drawing breath for, and her life felt like this now far more than it felt sunny, beautiful, an explosion of colours, when Sirius was with her. She was on the brink of a highly rational decision, which startled her somewhat, and it was almost as if she could feel her head clenching its fist and pushing her heart firmly back beneath her ribcage. She knew something would have to change. If it did not, she didn't know how, but she would end whatever had begun with Sirius. Whatever it was that had turned her life upside down and into a dizzying rollercoaster of emotions.

With a sigh that was neither contented nor anxious, she arose from the table, intending to interrupt Hermione from her reading and suggest a stroll in the park.

At that moment, the door opened, and Jasmine was surprised to see Sirius enter. He looked highly agitated and glanced furtively around the cavernous kitchen, running a hand through his hair. His hand remained on the door handle, one foot inside the room and one out, and for a second he looked as if he would rather turn on his heel and run. Then, suddenly, he slammed the door shut, and strode purposefully over to the other side of the room, his back to her.

"Are you alright, Sirius?" Jasmine asked, puzzled by his bizarre behaviour. He did not respond for a second or so, and then turned sharply around to face her.

"No. As a matter of fact, no, I'm not," he said.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned and perplexed. Sirius began to busy himself with the washing up, producing a loud clattering sound as he knocked over several mugs. He stopped suddenly, and walked to the other side of the room, straightening the chair at the head of the table. Jasmine remained silent.

"No. It's nothing," he said, resting his hands on the back of the chair and sighing.

"Er, OK then," she said. "I'll leave you to it." She turned to leave, opening the door.

"No!" Sirius exclaimed. "No."

Thoroughly bemused, Jasmine closed the door slowly, frowning.

"Jasmine, I can't stop thinking about you, alright?" he said vehemently. "There you go. In short, in a nutshell, I cannot stop bloody thinking about you and it is driving me absolutely crazy. You and your…and your…_boyfriend_ today, and I…I can't, it won't – " he let out a cry of frustration and gave the chair a forceful shove. It clattered to the floor, and Sirius groaned, pacing over to the other side of the room and running his fingers through his hair. "No," he said, seemingly more to himself than anything. "No." He picked up a plate and began to clean it, before letting out another frustrated exclamation and dropping it loudly into the sink. "I can't stop. Thinking about you."

Jasmine stood completely still, an unpleasant wriggling sensation in the pit of her stomach. She felt as if her feet had been glued to the flagstones, and was suddenly very aware of the blood pounding through her head. It took her several seconds to register what Sirius had said, and longer to formulate a coherent reply. When she did, however, she betrayed none of the explosion that had taken place within her mind.

"You shouldn't be saying that," she said, her voice steady. Sirius looked taken aback, and froze.

"What?" he said.

"No. You shouldn't. For so many reasons."

"I know, I know, I just – "

"It doesn't matter what you 'just'. Don't say that again," she said. She could feel tears prickling behind her eyes, but as she took a deep breath, a calmness and a composure seemed to take their place. She turned and opened the door. Sirius, however, strode quickly across and shut it forcefully, standing in her way.

"Is this because of your boyfriend?"

A look of incredulous disgust passed across her face.

"What on earth does that have to do with _anything?_" she asked. "I have no boyfriend, I want no boyfriend, I – "

"You don't?"

Jasmine let out a cry of frustration, tearing at her hair.

"Sirius, I am not some silly little fourteen year old who feels the need for a boyfriend to give her life meaning! You clearly haven't noticed that I am perfectly capable of looking after myself; I don't need to be utterly dependent on someone to validate myself! For God's _sake, _Sirius! You don't know me at _all._"

Part of the reason for the bitterness in the back of her throat was that Jasmine knew her words carried little conviction. She knew she was drowning in Sirius, drowning in a world that screamed Sirius from every crevice, losing control of her own flesh, as if she were becoming a ghost. No, not a ghost. A grain of salt, dissolving into his ocean, dissolving, melting, fading, dissipating. Gone. No. Going. She clenched her fist. She would not go. Not yet.

"Well who was that boy you were with outside then?"

She felt anger flare up inside her now, at his utter childishness, at his insecurity. He was not supposed to be frail, to be tempestuous, to be the fragile one. That was her job. If she could not look to him to be the steady one at times like these, her world would disintegrate.

"I am not going to even dignify that with an answer! I actually cannot believe you, I cannot believe you would jump to such conclusions, and then barge in here and tell me something utterly absurd, and – "

"Jasmine, I just couldn't not, it's driving – "

"I don't care! I don't _care_, Sirius! Tell Hestia if it bothers you so much! You're with her, why would you even say this to me? Why would you do that?" Her voice broke and she looked down at the floor. The girl at the fountain. The girl on the bathroom floor. The Other Girl. She didn't want to be The Other Girl. Other Girl. Other Girl. Nameless, faceless Other Girl.

"I had to. If you had any idea – "

"Stop this. I won't listen to any more of it. You have a girlfriend." Jasmine said firmly. She paused, and her anger dissipated into sadness as she sighed. "And she's perfect. That's what men want, isn't it? Someone perfect?" There was a vein of hardness in her voice.

He didn't answer. She looked at him, somewhat sadly, and there was no trace of a smile in her eyes.

"Please let me past," she said firmly. He couldn't.

"Jasmine, please wait, I – "

"Let me past, Sirius," she said again, and there was warning in her voice.

He moved his arm, and she quickly pushed past it and walked calmly out into the hall.


End file.
